About Me

I am a queer Indigenous scholar, educator, athlete, coach, and physician committed to helping others live healthful, fulfilling, and impactful lives. While most physicians focus on disease management, I have spent nearly 20 years at the university level becoming an expert in health, wellness, and performance. Through this business, I integrate my skills and experiences as a strength coach, fitness nutrition specialist, social psychology researcher, public health professional, and family medicine physician—with the added depth of my lived experiences and intersecting identities—to offer holistic coaching, skill-building, support, and medical care for physicians and others in high-stress, demanding professions. My goal is for every client to experience how transformative high-performance, wellness-focused care can be during pivotal moments of change.

Originally from Kansas, my journey has taken me through Nebraska, Colorado, New York, Ohio, and Michigan. Along the way, I have:


  • Worked with D1 collegiate athletes as part of an athletic medicine team
  • Taught undergraduates, medical students, and resident physicians
  • Established and led two research labs
  • Developed CDC-sponsored continuing education for physicians
  • Authored book chapters and peer-reviewed articles
  • Reviewed for journals in medicine, psychology, and public health
  • Been offered a full-ride opportunity to attend seminary
  • Become a half-marathon and trail runner
  • Lost 40 lbs gained during early graduate school, then gained 25 lbs in muscle while balancing PhD and pre-med life
  • Improved my physical and mental health during medical school and residency
  • Mentored dozens of current high-performing professionals in science and medicine
  • Partnered with community-focused organizations to address the health & wellness needs of under-resourced and marginalized populations


Through all of this, I have found ways to achieve ambitious professional goals while staying grounded in health, relationships, and ethics, and focused on impactful community service. My mission is to continue this work—helping others in demanding roles thrive by offering the kind of innovative care, coaching, and support that keeps them well, focused, and ready to lead strong, healthy lives.

Medical Licenses

Michigan Medical License (MD)

Michigan Board of Medicine

License #4301510702

Ohio Medical License (MD)

Ohio Medical Board

License #35.149610

Education & Certifications

Pursuing Lifestyle Medicine Board Certification [Expected 2027]

American Board of Lifestyle Medicine 

Family Medicine Board Certified Physician

American Board of Family Medicine 

Family & Community Medicine Residency

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

Doctor of Medicine, Family Medicine Primary Care Track

The Ohio State University College of Medicine 

Doctor of Philosophy in Social Psychology

Syracuse University 

Master of Public Health, Public Health Practice & Policy

SUNY Upstate Medical University 

Syracuse University (Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs)

Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist

National Strength & Conditioning Association

Certification #7248010696

Fitness Nutrition Specialist

American Council on Exercise

Certification #N849639

Current & Upcoming Community Projects

  • POWER Skills Lab: A learner-centered research lab committed to providing pre-health students from marginalized and minoritized backgrounds with the research experience, skills, and mentorship necessary to be the next generation of healthcare leaders. 


  • Disability Integration Toolkit: A collection of clinical case modules, small group activity guides, and resources that can each be used to help integrate disability into the medical school curriculum.  [Link]


  • Ehlers-Danlos & Hypermobility Syndrome Primary Care Provider Toolkit: A resource to help primary care providers increase their ability to provide informed, supportive, evidence-based care for patients with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome or Hypermobility Syndrome.


  • Rural First Responder Health & Wellness Promotion Workshop: An in-person workshop  providing health, wellness, and performance-focused education, risk factor screening, and one-on-one coaching tailored to the needs of rural first responders.


  • Rural Fire Department Grant Writing Capacity Improvement Project: One-on-one training is being provided to a rural Assistant Fire Chief to help improve grant writing skills and increase their health-promotion capacity for their township.


  • Queer Indigenous Health & Wellness Provider Training: A training session developed for health care providers in a health care system to improve their ability to provide inclusive and effective care for the Queer and Two-spirit Indigenous people of Turtle Island.


  • Selecting Appropriate Level of Care Community Presentation: A presentation and Q&A session provided in partnership with community organizations to help their members understand when to go to an emergency department vs. urgent care vs. primary care provider vs. other community health resource to address their health care needs.



  • Health Emergency & Hospitalization Preparedness Community Workshop: A workshop held in partnership with community organizations to help their members and their family more effectively and safely navigate receiving emergency medical care and being admitted to the hospital.

Journal Article Publications

Ioerger M, Turk MA. Addressing Ableism in Medical Education - The Disability Integration Toolkit. N Engl J Med. 2024;390(22):2041-2042. doi:10.1056/NEJMp2314163  [Link]


Makara J, Cain R, Glock L, Ioerger M, Holliday S. Barriers to correct pronoun usage in healthcare settings. BMC Med Educ. 2024;24,1056. doi:10.1186/s12909-024-06032-7  [Link]


French-Lawyer J, Siano S, Ioerger M, Young V, Turk MA. Health information seeking and people with disability: A systematic search and scoping review. Disabil Health J. 2021;14(1):100983. doi:10.1016/j.dhjo.2020.100983  [Link]


Goss KD, Abramson N, Ioerger M, Reyes AC, Turk MA. A systematic scoping study exploring opioid use across a variety of disability conditions. Disabil Health J. 2021;14(4):101106. doi:10.1016/j.dhjo.2021.101106  [Link]


Goss KD, Ioerger M, Young V, Flanders RM, Turk MA. A systematic search and technical review of online information pertaining to medical care for people with disability. Disabil Health J. 2020;13(2):100877. doi:10.1016/j.dhjo.2019.100877  [Link]


Ioerger M, Flanders RM, French-Lawyer JR, Turk MA. Interventions to Teach Medical Students About Disability: A Systematic Search and Review. Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2019 Jul;98(7):577-599. doi: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000001154.   [Link]


Ioerger M, Machia LV, Turk MA. Self-other overlap: A unique predictor of willingness to work with people with disability as part of one's career. PLoS One. 2019;14(8):e0220722. Published 2019 Aug 12. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0220722  [Link]


Mitzel LD, VanderDrift LE, Ioerger M, Vanable PA. The Effect of Partner Serostatus and Relationship Duration on HIV Medication Adherence. AIDS Behav. 2019;23(2):499-503. doi:10.1007/s10461-018-2244-9  [Link]


Ioerger M, Flanders RM, Goss KD, Turk MA. Developing a systematic search strategy related to people with disability: A brief report testing the utility of proposed disability search terms in a search about opioid use. Disabil Health J. 2019;12(2):318-322. doi:10.1016/j.dhjo.2018.11.009  [Link]


VanderDrift LE, Ioerger M, Mitzel LD, Vanable PA. Partner Support, Willingness to Sacrifice, and HIV Medication Self-Efficacy. AIDS Behav. 2017;21(8):2519-2525. doi:10.1007/s10461-017-1698-5  [Link]


Ioerger M, Henry KL, Chen PY, Cigularov KP, Tomazic RG. Beyond Same-Sex Attraction: Gender-Variant-Based Victimization Is Associated with Suicidal Behavior and Substance Use for Other-Sex Attracted Adolescents [published correction appears in PLoS One. 2015 Sep 25;10(9):e0139532. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139532]. PLoS One. 2015;10(6):e0129976. Published 2015 Jun 12. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0129976  [Link]


Kaufman MR, Ioerger M, Harman JJ, Modarres N. Nature, extent and implications of belief in Kikombe cha babu and other herbal HIV cures in Tanzania. AIDS Care. 2014;26(12):1541-1545. doi:10.1080/09540121.2014.936815  [Link]


Lehmiller JJ, Ioerger M. Social networking smartphone applications and sexual health outcomes among men who have sex with men. PLoS One. 2014;9(1):e86603. Published 2014 Jan 23. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0086603  [Link]

Book Chapters

VanderDrift LE, Ioerger M, Arriaga X. Interdependence perspectives on power in relationships. In Agnew CR & Harman JJ, eds. Power in Close Relationships: Advances in Personal Relationships. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. 2019:55-71. doi:10.1017/9781108131490


Lehmiller JJ, Ioerger M. Prejudice and stigma in romantic contexts: Implications for relationship and personal health outcomes. In Agnew CR, ed. Social Influences on Close Relationships: Beyond the Dyad. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. 2014:83-102.

Invited Academic Journal Peer-Reviewer

Society for Teachers of Family Medicine's PRiMER


BMC Medical Education


BMC Public Health


Disability and Health Journal


Social Science & Medicine


American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation


Advances in Health Science Education


Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin


Health Psychology


Discover Public Health