Faculty and Staff
Elizabeth T. Harpster
| Title: | Clinical Assistant Professor |
| Family Medicine | |
| School of Medicine Greenville | |
| E-mail: | elizabeth.harpster@prismahealth.org |
| Phone: | 864-482-3496 |
| Office: | 139 Lila Doyle Dr Seneca SC 29672 |
Bio
| Background: | Elizabeth “Liz” Harpster, MD describes her path to medicine as a winding road with many forks instead of the straight highway many doctors take. Dr. Harpster spent her formative years split between the Midwest and the Southwest. She initially grew up in the Chicago, IL area, moving to El Paso, TX at 13 years old. Dr. Harpster graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Economics and a minor in International Business. After working in the insurance business, Dr. Harpster received her high school teaching certification, teaching both high school math and social studies and coaching cheerleading. Although Dr. Harpster enjoyed teaching, she continued to circle back to her dream of being a physician. She completed her post-bachelors’ courses at The Ohio State University while working as a tutor and the Chemistry and Biology lab coordinator. In 2012, as her youngest child started kindergarten, Dr. Harpster started Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio accepting the Health Provider Service Program scholarship and entered the US Army. She graduated with Honors with Distinction in Research for her participation in research projects with the Cleveland Veterans Administration Hospital spinal cord injury patients. After medical school, Dr. Harpster completed Family Medicine Residency at Womack Army Medical Center in Fort Freedom (Bragg), NC while also serving as an officer in the US Army. During residency, Dr. Harpster continually incorporated her teaching experience into her work and was awarded the Resident Teacher of the Year. Since residency, Dr. Harpster has been stationed in Fort Bliss, El Paso and has worked as a staff physician, faculty for nursing students, medical students and resident physicians, served as Medical Director for the Exceptional Family Member Program and Officer in Charge of Mendoza Family Care Clinic running a medical clinic that cares for nearly 10,000 military dependents. In 2023, Dr. Harpster completed her military service with an honorable discharge from the US Army and was able to pursue her “dream job” as a Family Medicine Residency Faculty member. The melding of both her experience as a teacher and her love of full-spectrum family medicine makes Seneca Family Medicine Residency Program the perfect fit! She continues to develop her skills as both a clinician and medical educator, most recently accepted in the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM) POCUS Educators Fellowship program. She is working to develop her POCUS skills along with building a robust POCUS curriculum as Seneca Family Medicine Residency Program. She has also worked to develop a Global Health Elective for residents and will be taking her first group of residents to Belize in September for a medical mission trip to underserved areas of Belize. Along with medicine, Dr. Harpster enjoys any and all water activities, hiking, board games (especially Catan), traveling, tending to her plants and time with her husband, 3 adult children and 2 dogs. |
| Teaching Interest(s): | Inpatient Medicine Women's Health Minor Procedures POCUS (Point of Care Ultrasound) Global Health |
| Research Interest(s): | Women's Health Primary Care of Dialysis Patients Medical Learner Feedback Rural Medicine Global Health POCUS |
| Honors & Awards: | The Joy of Learning Faculty Teacher of the Year Award The Joy of Learning, Faculty Teacher of the Year |
| Professional Affiliations: | American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Member Society of Teachers of Family Medicine Member American Academy of Family Physicians Member American Board of Family Medicine Member |