Mark Allen , M.D.

I was born in Slidell, Louisiana and moved when I was very young to Anderson, Indiana where I grew up.  I am the youngest of four brothers so I basically grew up as an only child.  Yes, I was the spoiled one.  I attended Ball State University in Muncie where I studied music performance in trumpet and graduated in 2004.  I also earned a Biology Masters degree at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI).  I graduated from Indiana University School of Medicine in 2009.  I was very familiar with Muncie already having lived there for 5 years while at Ball State.  The super-senior track.   I didn’t really know much about the program until I talked with past residents who said not to even think about going anywhere else.  So I did my 4th year medicine month at Ball and really felt it was the perfect fit.  Ball is super laid back but without sacrifice to teaching or education.  All staff is super friendly and easily approachable for any questions/concerns you have, and many give formal lectures.  I live in Fishers with my wife Rhianna.  We currently have a dog on the way.  Kids to follow TBA.  I thought the commute to Muncie might be an issue, not at all.  I still have had time to bring my golf handicap down 3 strokes, work on the house I just bought, and hang out with friends.  Bottom line, I wouldn’t go anywhere else for transitional year.  It was pretty hard to find a place more laid back and with so many benefits to being a resident.

Nathan Brandley , M.D.

I was born and raised in Indianapolis, IN.  I spent my high school days as a wildcat at Lawrence North High School and eventually went to Purdue where I majored in health sciences.  After college I went straight in to medical school at Indiana University.  Even though my last school was IU, I’m still a boilermaker at heart….Boiler Up!  In my free time I enjoy watching football, fixing up the house, and being outdoors.  I chose to come to Ball Memorial for my transitional year because it has a good reputation and it is close enough to downtown Indianapolis where I will finish my residency in Anesthesiology.  What I enjoy most about Ball is the faculty who are willing to teach and the relationships built between my fellow interns.  With such a small number of people you start to feel like a family which is nice when you need to talk to a friend.  They also take good care of us here at Ball and make sure we are on task to meet all of the ACGME requirements.  I would definitely recommend Ball to anyone looking for a solid foundation and a good internship and I feel confident I will be prepared for starting my anesthesia residency next July.

John Burgner , M.D.

I took a rather obscure path into medicine. Throughout high school and into college         I  was a sports fanatic playing any and all sports I could. This of course led me to a  sports crazed college… Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. After figuring out that  a) Engineers make terrible soccer players and b) Chemical Engineering is down right boring; I attended IU school of Medicine. While looking for transitional years I was drawn to Ball’s great reputation. On interviews at other programs Ball Memorial was recommended by their residents. As it turns out Ball is a perfect fit for me! After this  year is over I will return to IU for advanced training in Anesthesiology. In my spare   time I enjoy any and all sports (but mostly football, golf and soccer) as well as hunting and fishing.

Christopher Grindle , M.D.

A native Hoosier, I was born and raised in the small town of Wabash, IN.  Growing up I always knew I wanted to be a doctor, so after graduating from Wabash High School in 2001 I went to Indiana University to begin pursuing my goal of becoming a physician.  I graduated from Indiana University in 2005 with a B.S. degree in Biology.  After undergrad I attended Indiana University School of Medicine where I obtained my medical degree in 2009.  During the interview process I interviewed at several transitional year programs, and the Ball Memorial TY program stood out from all the rest.   It was the only program where all the current residents showing us around the facility had no complaints about the hospital environment.  The residents got along well, and even said if they had to repeat the residency selection process they would again choose Ball Memorial.  I agree with the past residents that Ball Memorial Hospital offers a great opportunity to learn the skills necessary to become a quality intern and to propel us into our future specialties.  I enjoy the relaxed community hospital setting Ball Memorial has to offer.   I have had great experiences with all of the staff physicians that have supervised me on my various rotations.  I am confident that I will be prepared to enter my residency in Anesthesia at IUSM after completing my TY program here at Ball Memorial.  Like the residents before me, if I, too, had to fill out my rank sheet again Ball Memorial Hospital would still be the TY program at the top of my list.

Jennifer Lanter, D.O.

I grew up in Carmel, Indiana and after graduating from Carmel High School, I spent four years in Bloomington earning a B.S. in Biology at Indiana University and attending as many IU basketball games as I could (unfortunately IU football wasn’t quite as exciting).  I then went to Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Florida for medical school and enjoyed the warm winters that Indiana fails to offer.  While I enjoyed my two years in Florida and traveling to various locations for my third and fourth year rotations, I found myself longing to be back home again.  I had heard so many great things about Ball Memorial Hospital and their Transitional Residency program from previous residents so I managed to set up a sub-I here during my fourth year of medical school to get a feel for the hospital.  I found that all of the wonderful things I had heard were true.  The staff and other residents are very friendly, willing to teach, and generally great to work with.  The Transitional Residency program here is relaxed and allows for flexibility as well as providing a nice balance between lifestyle and learning.  I really felt at home here so needless to say, I was really excited when I matched here!  I currently live in Fishers, IN which isn’t a bad drive from Muncie.  In my free time, I enjoy working out, cooking, fishing, watching football and basketball and reading.  After my transitional year, I will complete my residency in anesthesia at Indiana University.

Ruben Montoya , M.D.

Born and raised in Jeffersonville, IN, I'm the youngest of three boys. After finishing a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis and a M.S. in Anatomy from Indiana University Bloomington, I entered medical school at Indiana University. After I leave Ball Memorial Hospital's Transitional Year program, I'll finish up my residency at Indiana University's Anesthesia program. As my brother had previously graduated from this program, I'd always heard great things about it. It wasn't until after most of my interviews were done and while I was on a cardiology rotation at BMH that I realized how well I'd fit in here. The hospital is community based but with enough volume that you don't feel like you're missing out on anything. Also, the faculty and staff seem much more laid back than those you'd find at many larger medical centers. They are just as knowledgeable, probably more willing to teach, and definitely less likely to force you into scut work. Overall, it's been a great experience so far. I'm commuting from the NW corner of Indianapolis which isn't as painful as it sounds (I get my "Morning Edition" and "All things considered" fix during my drive) and the schedule is flexible enough that I can still find the time to golf, bike, or just hang out. If you're looking for a solid clinical education with the opportunity to still have a life outside the hospital I highly recommend you check out this program.

Joseph Slusher , M.D.

I was raised in Pineville, Kentucky, a small town near Cumberland Gap National Park in southeastern Kentucky.  After summoning considerable courage, I made the trek to the big city of Lexington, where I attended the University of Kentucky for undergraduate studies and medical school.   I first learned of the Transitional Year Program at Ball Memorial Hospital from a former resident, who spoke highly of the efficiency of the hospital, the helpfulness of the staff, and wonderful way in which the residents were treated.  The program is structured around flexible and relevant training, with careful attention to the well-being of the residents.  I had the good fortune to match into the BMH Transitional Program and have not been disappointed in the least.  In my free time I enjoy following every detail of UK Basketball, travelling, golfing, spending time with my family, walking my dog at Summit Lake State Park, and riding my road bike on the Cardinal Greenway here in Muncie.  When I am finished at BMH, I will be moving to Richmond, VA to complete my residency in Radiology at Virginia Commonwealth University.   My girlfriend, Kathryn, will be arriving in Virginia a year ahead of me, as she starts medical school at Virginia Tech this fall.

Jason Warr , M.D.

I would be lying if I said that I didn’t miss my hometown of Myrtle Beach, S.C.  It was warm year-round, located on the coast and was a golf haven.  I moved to Indiana in 1998 to attend Purdue, and lived in the Lafayette area for 5 years.  I moved to Indy in 2003 with my wife Jennifer, and worked for my wife’s uncle painting houses.  While I did enjoy working with family, it was not my ultimate career goal.  I obtained my Masters in Biology at IUPUI, and then completed medical school at IU.  When I decided on a career in Anesthesia, I wanted a Transitional Year program that had a strong medical education program that would prepare me for my future training.  I really feel like Ball Memorial is that place.  They have a tradition of strong academics and great teaching faculty in a relaxed environment that I feel is most conducive to learning. I currently live in Pendleton, which is 30 miles south of Muncie and commute on a daily basis.  It is well worth the drive to work in such a great environment.  After this year, I will return to IU to complete my training in Anesthesia.  As a father of two girls, my limited free time is spent at the zoo, children’s museum and on the golf course.