Honoring a KCU Education by Giving Back

Dr. Merle Turner, D.O., showed up at KCU with very little—just determination and $360 in his pocket. That was all he and his wife, Susan, had been able to save. When he asked for the loan office, he was told there wasn't one.

Thankfully, Dr. Turner '75 managed to work out a deal with a small town in southwestern Kansas.

"We read in Susan's hometown paper that the town was thinking of sending someone to medical school in exchange for them coming back to practice," he remembers. "So that's what I did."

Today, Dr. Turner is the medical director of Warner Family Practice in Chandler, Ariz., which he founded in 1979. The practice has been very successful, and Dr. Turner attributes this in part to KCU.

"The University gave me a tremendous opportunity to have a nice life," he says.

In particular, he enjoys making meaningful connections with his patients.

Dr. Turner is grateful for the financial support that allowed him to continue at KCU without massive debt. He knows that current students often need that extra boost as well.

"I try to help where I can," he says. "I wish more alumni understood that anyone who graduates from medical school has the ability to contribute at some level."

To that end, Dr. Turner has made a gift in his estate plan to KCU, which he calls his legacy.

"It makes me feel satisfied," he says. "I was given a unique opportunity that not many people get to have." Thanks to his gift, others will now be able to say the same.

Make a Difference

Show your appreciation for your unique educational experience by following Dr. Turner's lead and making a future gift to KCU. Contact Jennifer Ingraham at (816) 654-7282 and jingraham@kansascity.edu for details.