Alumna’s GC Experience Sets the Stage for Award in the Medical Field

Published: April 13, 2021

Catherine (Weyers 10) Moore was among 12 recipients of the Award for Excellence in Graduate Medical Education bestowed by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) this fall.

The award recognizes outstanding residents nearing the end of their family medicine training. Moore will complete her residency through the Mercy Family Medicine Residency program in St. Louis this June, and plans to practice family medicine as an osteopath in underserved areas of St. Louis City.

Twelve residents were chosen out of more than 3,500 eligible candidates. Awardees showed outstanding performance in patient care, civic involvement and leadership.

Moores dedication to patients springs from three years of hard work in residency, but it also has roots in her childhood.

Growing up, Moore benefitted from the influence of her mother, a nurse by profession who modeled care and attentiveness toward not only her children, but many in their church family. Her mothers example of nurturing her family, friends and patients laid the foundation for Moores own desire to aid physical healing.

Moore grew her own skills by shadowing doctors during the summer in high school and earning a Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA) certificate in 2006.

Moore sits on the board of Health Connection, a local ministry that connects people in her neighborhood with existing health resources. Moore lives among a high immigrant and refugee population, and many of them know little about healthcare services, making Health Connection a vital resource.

She and her husband Jeremy Moore 10 also help run a community block group to care for their neighborhood, which is located in an area of elevated crime risk.

Moore certainly leads in her work. She jokingly explains that the idea of being the boss appeals to her, and the title of Doctor certainly requires that take-charge attitude.

Yet Moores leadership extends far beyond the workday. In many ways, every decision she and her husband have made about their lifestyle is an act of leadershipthe unexpected and counter-cultural leadership called for in the Kingdom of God.

Beginning with lessons learned at Greenville College, and continuing through the study of Scripture, the Moores felt convicted that God shows up among the disenfranchisedthe immigrant, the refugee, the fatherless, the poor, the marginalized. This directly influenced their decision to live in a low-income refugee neighborhood, to work among underserved populations and to take in foster children.

As Moore puts it, Why wouldnt we want to be where God has promised to be working?

Moore faced a buffet of college choices to prepare for medical school, but Greenville College in particular appealed to her. GC seemed to prioritize fostering relationships, and Moore needed mentors and networking for professional success.

At Greenville College, Moore received guidance from professors like Eugene Dunkley and Darrell Iler. Dunkley, her advisor, guided her toward osteopathy and encouraged her to try for early acceptance into medical school. Moore still remembers mentoring moments in Snyder Hall, the warm welcome she received in professors homes, and treasured times with peers, such as performing with Gospel Choir, or celebrating her acceptance into medical school with friends at GCs back-to-school picnic.

Moores family was so impressed with her experience that three of her siblings Anna Weyers 12, David Weyers 17 and Daniel Weyers 19eventually enrolled in GC to pursue degrees in various science fields. Even her husband Jeremy graduated from the GC sciences, with a degree in chemistry.

For more about GC alumni who pursued medicine, check out:

Partners In Life And Practice
When Conversation Fuels a Movement
GC Alumnus Finds Calling In Trauma Surgery
Exact Copy: Pediatric Cardiologist Loves 3D Printing
GC Alumnus Ellis Named Top Rural Physician Nationwide

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