After receiving a Bachelor’s degree at the University of Oklahoma in zoology, Dr. Carolyn Prater graduated from Oklahoma State College of Osteopathic Medicine in Tulsa in 1986 and went on to do pediatrics training in Columbus, Ohio. She is board certified by the American College of Osteopathic Pediatricians. She moved to Joplin in 1994 and started a pediatric practice with St. John’s Hospital. She also helped start the pediatric clinic at the Community Clinic and continues to work there. In 2007, she retired from private practice and soon joined the staff at Access Family Care as a collaborating physician.
And now she serves part-time in pediatrics at Access Family Care. The mission of providing good quality care to the uninsured and underinsured children of the area is most important to her and she loves her work and the children she cares for.
When not working, she is caring for her family and their farm, as well as a menagerie of dogs, cats, horses, fish and the occasional rabbit.