What is your hometown?
I am from Murray, Utah. It is immediately south of Salt Lake City.
How or when did you become interested in science and medicine?
My interest in medicine stems from my own experiences as a patient. I guess you could say it has been a progressive exposure to the field! It could have been when I was four and was hospitalized after drinking a glass of sour milk; when I was five after being hit by a car while riding my bike; when I was 12 after breaking my thumb on a goal post (long story); when I was 16 after breaking a rib playing football; or when I was 17 after breaking my fibula - again playing football.
How or why did you choose the UI to attend medical school?
When I was deciding which medical school to attend, I was specifically looking for a student-friendly atmosphere, a first-class teaching institution that would set me up to be any type of physician, and a nice location for my family. I feel strongly that Iowa has lived up to those standards. (It didn't hurt that there is good football here too!)
Is there a teacher, mentor or Carver College of Medicine faculty member who has helped shape your education?
At this point in my training I can't single out one person. Up to this point in my training, the people that have had the greatest impact on my education have been my classmates. I don't think I would have survived the battle of first and second year without the help and support from Dan, Tope and Craig.
What kinds of opportunities or advantages does being a medical student at Iowa provide? What about challenges?
One of the unique things about Iowa is the number of groups that exist to get involved. There is an interest group for just about everything! Personally, I have been heavily involved in the Family Medicine and Orthopaedic Surgery Interest Groups. I have also attended dozens of other lunch time talks on other topics. This is a really nice chance to learn about what exists in medicine.
If you asked my classmates what my biggest challenge is they would probably tell you I have a hard time staying awake in lecture. Usually this isn't the lecturer's fault; I just have a 35-minute attention span! My wife could verify this too!
Please describe your professional goals/interests.
Sports medicine has been a strong interest of mine ever since my injury-prone high school years! There are a number of ways to be involved in sports medicine. My goal is to be the team physician for a university or to cover sports for a number of high schools. I plan to do this via primary care sports medicine. This would involve a residency in family medicine followed by a sports medicine fellowship.
What are some of your outside interests?
I like spending time with my family. I am married and have two girls, Abbie (3) and Anna (1). My evenings include fun stuff like hide-and-go seek, playing on the swings and reading bedtime stories. I enjoy a good pick-up basketball or football game. And I can't forget about our weekly neighborhood potluck grill-night!
Do you participate in any community service/outreach projects? If so, what are they and what have your experiences been?
I am the president and founder of the Live to Learn Foundation , a non-profit charity which provides educational sponsorships to impoverished children in the Philippines. We are in our fifth year and are currently supporting the education of 235 elementary and high school students and 14 college students. In total we have provided 706 one-year sponsorships.
My connection to the Philippines was established in 1998-00 when I was there as a missionary. I lived among the people and observed first hand the challenges many indigent people face including basic education. After I returned home I really missed serving the Filipino people so I decided that this would be a perfect opportunity to continue to serve even from a remote distance.
Do you have an insight or philosophy that guides you in your work?
"Live to learn, learn to love, and you'll love to live!" I remember hearing this quote as a freshman in college and it has always stuck with me.
If you could change one thing about the world (or the world of medicine), what would it be?
Some of the happiest times in my life have been when I am focusing on the needs of others instead of my own. It is very easy in our society to get caught up in the "me, me, me" train of thought. I think our world would be a better place if we each made a greater effort to reach out to the needs of people around us.
What one piece of advice you would give to students who are interested in applying to medical school?
Be yourself; be the person you want to be. When you figure out what or who that is, do everything you can to achieve it.
What do you see as "the future" of medicine?
I think we have some challenges ahead of us, particularly with the shortage in primary care. However, I think we are a resourceful group and we will find ways to adapt as needed. A great example of this is the Future of Family Medicine Project that is underway to develop a strategy to transform and renew the specialty of family medicine.