Huntingburg native earns doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from Marian University

McKenzie Young-Eckert of Huntingburg completed Marian University’s Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program on May 3, joining the university’s Class of 2026 as more than 1,000 graduates crossed the stage across three commencement ceremonies in Indianapolis and Plymouth. Her degree was conferred at Marian’s graduate and doctoral ceremony on Sunday, May 3, placing a Dubois County name inside Indiana’s physician pipeline at a time when the state still needs more doctors.

Young-Eckert is the daughter of Bryan and Jackie Young of Huntingburg and the wife of Ross Eckert. She previously earned a Bachelor of Science in Professional Biology, summa cum laude, from the University of Evansville in 2022. Marian’s osteopathic medical school began after the university broke ground on the Michael A. Evans Center for Health Sciences on Aug. 24, 2011, and welcomed its first class in August 2013.

The broader workforce picture explains why a graduation like this matters. The Indiana University Bowen Center for Health Workforce Research and Policy says 67 of Indiana’s 92 counties are classified as Health Professional Shortage Areas, and the state has 22 medical students and 25 medical residents per 100,000 residents, below bordering states and the national average. In 2024, Indiana’s medical schools produced 491 new graduates, but the state had only 441 residency spots for those doctors, leaving 50 without an in-state training seat.

Indiana’s Primary Care Office says its loan repayment program can provide up to $40,000 for two years of service in shortage areas and is aimed at recruiting and retaining primary care, mental health and dental providers. Marian says its DO graduates are fully licensed physicians after residency training, which can last three to seven or more years, and that the program prepares students for any medical specialty. That makes Young-Eckert part of a long-term supply line, not just a commencement name, in a state still trying to keep more doctors close to the communities that need them.