I grew up in West Haven, Utah – a small town west of Ogden. I still have the small-town habit of waving to everyone I see as I walk down the street. I love being outside – which for me includes snowboarding, climbing, canyoneering, and hiking. I also love baking and have taken on a recent task to try and perfect my bagel recipe!

My interest in healthcare started as a high school student. I took an anatomy and physiology course and loved it. Shout out to my high school anatomy teacher for supporting my interest in medicine! He encouraged me to join our high school HOSA chapter, and I participated in the National HOSA conference during my last year of high school.

I did my undergraduate degree at Utah Tech University in St. George. As I chose my major, I started looking at different healthcare options and was initially signed up for prerequisite respiratory therapy courses. This included a general chemistry class. The professor of the course was a great mentor who encouraged me to start doing research that I did not consider before. She helped me look up different undergraduate research programs and pushed me to take more chemistry classes. I then met more amazing mentors and started doing research with the biochemistry professor at Utah Tech. I realized my love for science extended far beyond my initial introduction to anatomy in high school. My research mentor and the support I received at Utah Tech were crucial to successfully applying to medical school. This special mentoring relationship showed me how important it is to open doors for others. I hope to give back by mentoring those interested in family medicine, particularly those who might be less privileged than I am.

During the first two years of medical school, I felt open to letting new experiences guide my specialty path. I was equally interested in emergency medicine, obstetrics, pediatrics, and family medicine. My interests shifted often enough that when my family members asked what I would go into, I would tell them a different specialty each time.

During my third year, I had an impactful experience working at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital, where one of my preceptors challenged me to talk to each of her patients about smoking cessation. She coached me in my motivational interviewing skills, especially surrounding smoking cessation. I had some of the most rewarding and insightful conversations with her patients. This experience helped me develop a love and appreciation for preventative medicine within primary care.

Throughout the rest of my clerkships, I also found that I loved working with pediatric and obstetric populations. Near the end of my third year, I had the opportunity to spend part of my family medicine rotation in a rural area in Utah. I saw what broad-scope rural medicine could look like and thoroughly enjoyed my time there.

I am looking forward to a career practicing broad-scope family medicine!