Kouba

LEADING

THE WAY

Melissa Kouba, M.D

Dr. Kouba is currently the Med/Peds consulting physician for the Rusk Rehabilitation Center in Columbia, MO.

Melissa was the pioneer of our program in a pilot class of one beginning in 1997. She received a Bachelor of Arts in biology from the University of North Texas in Denton. After graduation, she worked as a blood bank phlebotomist before transitioning to a career as a cytogenetics technologist at the Texas Department of Mental Health.

She advanced in that field and took a position at the University of Missouri – Columbia with the Department of Physiology. During this time, Melissa contributed to the publication of articles in the American Journal of Human Genetics, Cancer Genetics and Cytogenetics, and Clinical Genetics. After rising to the position of Cytogenetics Laboratory Supervisor, Melissa decided to change career paths and returned to classes at the University of Missouri in order to prepare for medical school. She was shortly thereafter accepted to the University of Missouri School of Medicine and excelled in both the basic sciences and clinical rotations. Upon graduation, she joined our residency program as the first Med/Peds resident at the University of Missouri. Dr. Kouba graduated in 2001 and joined a private practice Med/Peds clinic in Columbia until she returned to academics in 2004 by rejoining the university as the Med/Peds consulting physician for the Rusk Rehabilitation Center.