Andrew Parker, DO, grew up in Winnsboro, Louisiana, a small farming community where he learned the value of hard work, service and taking care of your neighbors. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Technology from the University of Louisiana at Monroe in 2007 and spent the next twelve years working as a radiologic technologist, obtaining certifications in both CT and MRI. Working alongside physicians and caring for patients in rural communities gave him firsthand appreciation for the challenges faced by underserved populations and ultimately helped shape his calling to medicine.
Over time, Dr. Parker became convinced that medicine had to be more than simply checking boxes. While evidence-based medicine remains essential, he believed patients deservedrelationships, continuity and physicians willing to know them beyond their diagnoses. Those experiences inspired him to pursue a more patient-centered approach to care and eventually led him to earn a Master of Science in Psychology in 2016 before obtaining his DO from the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Auburn (VCOM-Auburn) in 2023.
During medical school, Dr. Parker became the inaugural student in a newly developed rural track. As one of the first students to rotate through several new clinical sites, he worked closely with faculty and community physicians, providing feedback that helped shape the program for future learners. Those experiences reinforced something he still believes today: leadership isn’tabout titles. Sometimes it’s simply being willing to go first, helping others succeed and leaving things a little better than you found them.
Dr. Parker is nearing completion of his residency training through the University of Louisville Owensboro Rural Family Medicine Residency Program at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital. He chose the program because of its emphasis on rural medicine and procedural training, believing those experiences would help prepare him to care for communities where resources are often limited. His professional interests include point-of-care ultrasound, osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) and office-based procedures, but his heart has always been in family medicine. He considers it a privilege to earn the trust of patients and to walk alongside individuals and families through every stage of life.
As a recipient of the National Health Service Corps Scholarship, which funded his medical education in exchange for service in underserved communities, Dr. Parker is excited to continue that mission. Following residency, he will practice in Pueblo, Colorado, while maintaining a long-term goal of returning to the rural South to serve the communities that first inspired his journey into medicine.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Parker enjoys hiking, tennis, pickleball and spending time outdoors. One quote that has stayed with him comes from “The Matrix Revolutions.” When asked why he continues to fight despite overwhelming odds, Neo replies simply, “Because I choose to.” For Dr. Parker, medicine reflects that same daily choice. The decision to keep showing up for patients and communities because the work matters.