Hometown: Fort Wayne, IN

Bio: Hi! My name is Mckenzi Kaplanis, and I’m a Hoosier through and through! I was originally born in the small town of LaGrange before moving to Fort Wayne, where I spent most of my childhood. I grew up with my much cooler little sister and the best parents, who always encouraged us to follow our dreams. Although no one in my family was in medicine, I found myself drawn to it at a young age and began to envision a future as a physician. I attended Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, better known to all those that went there as IUPUI (No, I will never call it anything else). After earning my biology degree, I took two years off to work as a Patient Care Tech at Methodist Hospital during the COVID pandemic. It was during this time that my calling to become a physician truly solidified. I was fortunate to stay in Indianapolis and continue my education at Marian University. After my first year of medical school, I married the love of my life, Phil, who I met in high school Spanish class and have been with ever since. Outside of medicine, I love spending time with Phil and our dog, Willow, who looks a lot like Toto. We enjoy hiking, kayaking, visiting National Parks, traveling and playing co-op video games. I am an avid reader and pride myself on never being without a good book. My husband’s large Greek family has made me an honorary Greek – complete with big weddings, dancing, great food, and a Duolingo streak. It took me some time to find the right specialty, but looking back, it feels obvious that I was always meant for Family Medicine. I love having the opportunity to care for people in meaningful ways and build lasting relationships, not just treat illnesses. I also value the breadth of care this specialty provides. I feel so incredibly honored to continue my training at Memorial Hospital Family Medicine Residency. I look forward to serving the great people of South Bend and becoming the best doctor I can be.

Why Memorial: I first discovered Memorial while researching programs, and it quickly rose to the top of my list for its well-rounded, rigorous full-spectrum training and proximity to family. With each subsequent interaction, my impression only strengthened. Everyone I spoke with had overwhelmingly positive experiences, and the program consistently embodied everything I was seeking. What ultimately confirmed Memorial as my top choice was the people, who are genuine, supportive, and deeply committed both to their patients and to continually elevating the program

Clinical interests: Full spectrum family medicine, Rural family medicine, Obstetrics and prenatal care, POCUS, Care of the Underserved 

Hobbies: Reading, traveling, hiking, kayaking, camping, video games (co-op or cozy like Sims), house projects/renovations

Favorite quotes: “Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care.” -Theodore Roosevelt   “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” -Maya Angelou   “So many books, so little time.” -Frank Zappa   “To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.” -Oscar Wilde

Favorite books: The Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas, The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 

Favorite podcast: I’m not a huge podcast person, so they tend to all be medical ones. Creogs over coffee, EM Clerkship, the Curbsiders

Best advice: You don’t need to know everything; you just need to care enough to find out. 

Favorite thing to do in South Bend/Mishawaka:  Notre Dame football games, finding new places to eat, exploring book stores