A Bit About Dr. Blaseg

I was born and raised in Kalispell, Montana. I stayed in Montana for college, attending Montana State University in Bozeman where I met my husband, Nate. The two of us went to medical school together in his home state of South Dakota.

We moved to Salt Lake City for residency (me in family medicine and Nate in pediatrics) and currently live with our two adventure buddies, our pups Bridger and Harper. We enjoy being outside and spend our free time skiing, camping and hiking. I inherited a sourdough starter from my best friend and have been experimenting with some new baking recipes. I love to read and am always looking for recommendations!

The Journey to Family Medicine

I have always been excited about teaching and entered college as an education major. After getting my EMT and working more in the medical field, I realized that I could still be a teacher as a doctor, and beyond that, medicine would allow me to create a tangible and lasting difference in my community. I entered medical school with absolutely no concept of where I wanted to end up. I liked all the rotations I did and was trying desperately to decide which specialty was the right fit for me. I think often of the quote “I cannot do all the good the world needs. But the world needs all the good I can do.” Family medicine was the way I felt I could do the most good. The incredible mentors I have had reaffirmed that family medicine is a place for those who want to do good. Over and over, I am amazed at the dedication, compassion and brilliance of family medicine physicians and doctors like our assistant program director, Dr. Melanie Dance.

Choosing St. Mark’s Family Medicine Residency

My husband and I couples matched in Salt Lake City. I knew I wanted to apply at St. Mark’s months before applications were due. I had read about the Clinic Every Day model and spent hours discussing the logistics of the program with the residents. St. Mark’s Family Medicine Residency (SMFMR) is small enough to allow flexibility in pursuing education and as the only residents at our hospital, we get the undivided attention and enthusiasm of our specialists. While the program has a lot of really great aspects, its best feature has always been the residents. I am so grateful for my co-residents who have transformed residency from a crucible to a camaraderie. We have slowly coerced more and more residents into buying pizza ovens, so now when we have pizza parties, we go all out. We have resident events like Cookie Party, Egg Drop (which is exactly what it sounds like) and Gilmore Girls nights, where we get to focus on being people and not providers. 

Experience as an AAFP Emerging Leader Institute Scholar

Being a Scholar was a lot of fun! You get to meet a bunch of highly motivated and charismatic family medicine trainees and attend leadership training together. Over the course of a year, you create a project with the guidance of leaders in family medicine and the support from the other members of your cohort. I was absolutely blown away by the projects people came up with and the amazing work they are already doing. The future of family medicine is in good hands. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to explore the breadth of what family medicine can become.

Plans After Residency 

I have been fortunate to work through the Lifestyle Medicine Residency Curriculum concurrently during my training. Wherever I work, I plan to use those lifestyle principles that are so integral to the practice of preventive care. I’d love to move into public health and hope to pursue a Masters of Public Health (MPH) after I graduate from residency. The field of family medicine is ever expanding and changing so I’m sure whatever path I end up on will be dramatically different from whatever hypothetical I envision. I’m excited to see where this career takes me.

Hope for the Future of Healthcare

In the next 20 years, I hope we see improved access to care for everyone. The data shows that patients have better outcomes when they are cared for by a doctor like them, so I hope we continue to embrace the diversity that makes family medicine so unique. People from different socioeconomic, racial, gender and geographic backgrounds bring valuable perspectives and ideas that help expand access to care for marginalized groups. Even as a resident, I have seen how people suffer when their voices aren’t valued, and I want to be a part of promoting that positive culture of inclusivity that drew me to family medicine in the first place.

Advice for Your Younger Self

It will be okay. It feels trite to say it but is probably the phrase I rely on most heavily. In medical training, so many things feel out of your control: who your attendings are, where you match for residency, the kinds of patients you get and the frustratingly few hours in a day. Regardless of the outcome, you will learn and improve, and it will be okay. At the same time, the things that become your responsibility as a newly-fledged doctor are overwhelming and, frankly, terrifying. You will do the right thing some days and the wrong thing other days and it will still be okay. The world keeps turning and we take each day as a chance to grow.