She left Natchez more than a decade ago with the dream of becoming a doctor. After 14 years of classrooms, books and tests, Dr. Kathryn Nutter is back in town as the new radiologist at Open Air MRI of Miss-Lou.

“We always had a goal of coming back to Natchez,” Nutter said. “All along the way, we made decisions with that in mind.”

The 31-year-old Natchez native graduated from Trinity Episcopal School in 1993. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from Mississippi State University before starting medical school at the University Medical Center in Jackson. After four years of medical school and four years of radiology residency, Nutter accepted a fellowship in musculoskeletal radiology. After completing the fellowship in June, she accepted the radiologist position at Open Air MRI.

Nutter spends a typical workday in a small, dark office staring at MRI scans on computer monitors — she keeps the office lights turned off so she can see more detail in the images. Nutter evaluates 40 to 50 scans on most days. She also reads PET and CT scans for Natchez Regional Medical Center and is proud to provide a service to local physicians.

Open Air MRI of Miss-Lou is an imaging center that offers both open-air and closed-type magnetic resonance imaging.

“The closed MRI has broader capabilities,” Nutter said. “Any type of MRI technology is available here.”

Magnetic resonance imaging is a noninvasive test that produces detailed images of the human body’s internal structure. MRI allows doctors to evaluate parts of the body that are not easily viewed using X-rays or ultrasounds. MRI is typically used to evaluate the chest organs, abdomen and pelvis.

Nutter is part of a larger group of radiologists who reads MRI scans for imaging centers throughout several states. Nutter says that having Open Air MRI located in Natchez makes the Miss-Lou somewhat unique.

“Most areas have general radiologists who read all types of scans,” she said. “It’s a rare situation here. Everyone in the group is a fellowship-trained specialist.”

Open Air MRI is managed by an outside company, but is owned by a group of local physicians, she said. Nutter is the only radiologist that is physically located at Open Air MRI. Before her arrival, members of her radiology group read Open Air’s scans remotely from another location. Nutter now reads every scan that is performed at the facility.

Nutter got her first taste of the medical field while working for Natchez Pathology Laboratory in high school. That experience sparked an interest in medicine and that would eventually lead her to medical school.

“I was interested in the medical profession in high school,” she said. “I always had a plan to go to medical school.”

Nutter chose the radiology field because she “liked the idea of a cutting-edge specialty.”

“I liked anatomy, but didn’t want to do surgery,” Nutter added.

Nutter’s 14 years of school were not only a sacrifice for her, but for her family as well. Kathryn Nutter is married to Natchez-native Chris Nutter and the couple has one son, Charlie, who is three.

“It was difficult,” Kathryn Nutter said. “It was a lesson in time management.”

“Before our son, we got focused on our careers and we just made the most of the time available,” Chris Nutter said. “We learned to make the most of the time we had.”

The Nutters say they are exited to be back in their hometown and have no plans of leaving any time soon.

“We’ve looked forward to getting back in the small town for a while now,” Chris Nutter said.

“I’m happy to be here,” Kathryn Nutter said. “Being able to work here provides a good service to local physicians.”