Doctors are people too. In Behind the White Coat, Jefferson City Magazine takes readers beyond the practice to reveal the personal stories of local physicians.

Zachary Floyd, DO | General Surgery | MU Health Care

My name is Zachary Floyd, and I’m originally from St. Louis, Missouri.

I was very active as a child, playing competitive ice hockey from age 7 through high school. I attended Oakville High School in St. Louis and took elective study at South Technical High School for firefighting and EMT training. I originally planned on being a firefighter and paramedic, like my father, but after taking an anatomy and physiology class, I was fascinated by the body and considered medicine.

I attended the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where I met my wife, Samantha. During college and medical school, we had our three daughters — Grier, Gabriella, and Adaline. I took a gap year during this time. I worked full-time over the weekends in an emergency room in Kansas City, Missouri; but during the week, I would watch our then three year-old daughter at least once a week. We would spend a couple of hours at the mall where she would run around the indoor play area and ride the merry-go-round. It was a simple yet wonderful time.

I then attended Lincoln Memorial University — DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine in Harrogate, Tennessee, for medical school and completed my general surgery training in Dayton, Ohio. After nine years away, my family and I returned to Missouri.
Being able to directly intervene in a problem and improve someone’s quality of life is the most rewarding part of my job. Medicine is not always black and white. Sometimes, there isn’t a good answer regarding how to treat something or if something can be treated. Intervention can have negative consequences and may not improve quality of life. Sometimes, less truly is more.

My philosophy is to treat others the way you’d want to be treated and try your best at whatever you do. I believe we can make a real difference in ensuring that everyone has access to affordable health care and medication. I believe that adaptability is the most important characteristic that a doctor can have. We are constantly put in unique situations that require us to utilize our knowledge and past experience. Treatments, procedures, and technology change over time, which requires us to adapt in order to provide the best evidence-based care we can.

Outside of the office, I enjoy spending time with my wife, children, and our two small dogs, Dolly and Rabbit. We are expecting our fourth daughter in February 2025 and are so happy to be starting this new chapter of our lives in Jefferson City.

GET IN TOUCH:

(573) 632-5700
Surgery Clinic, MU Health Care
1125 Madison St., JCMO
muhealth.org