About Me
Dr. Villwock graduated from Muskogee High School in Muskogee, OK. She attended the University of Michigan where she studied Cellular and Molecular Biology. Simultaneous with her studies, she was an active student researcher in the neuroblastoma cancer research lab, under the direction and mentorship of Dr. Valerie Castle-Opipari. Dr. Villwock attended medical school at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, completing her clinical rotations in Flint, MI. Her residency training in comprehensive Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery was done at SUNY-Upstate in Syracuse, NY. Dr. Villwock then pursued fellowship in Rhinology and Anterior Skull Base Surgery at the University of Kansas Medical Center under the direction of Drs. Alex Chiu and David Beahm.
Dr. Villwock joined the KUMC faculty in 2017 as an Assistant Professor and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2020. She is one of two faculty - and only five physicians in the Kansas City metro area - to have obtained Fellow status in the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy. This indicates enhanced expertise in the diagnosis and management of allergy and sinus/airway inflammation as evidenced by completion of a number of intensive courses and passage of a written and oral exam.
With this training, Dr. Villwock is able to offer comprehensive otolaryngology services for those with ear, nose, and throat issues, including thorough sinus allergy evaluation and allergy immunotherapy - both sublingual (drops under the tongue) and subcutaneous (shots). Dr. Villwock also serves as the Section Chief of Otolaryngology at the Kansas City Veterans Affairs hospital, where she oversees a clinical staff of eight attending physicians and one nurse practitioner and ensures the delivery of high quality care to our veterans.
Dr. Villwock is also passionate about teaching. This is because she believes the best way to improve health care in the future is to optimize how we teach and learn together now. In 2020, Dr. Villwock was awarded the Rainbow Award. This award was established in 1999 by the Medical Student Assembly and the Dean of the School of Medicine to honor their heroes in medicine. This prestigious award acknowledges the KUMC physicians who display outstanding attributes of professionalism and excellence in medicine - specifically altruism, accountability, excellence, duty & service, honor & integrity, and respect for patients, staff, and students - while imparting these characteristics to their students.