Dr. Kruse grew up in the heart of the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York, spending much of her childhood exploring the woods and lakes. She grew up Nordic skiing and eventually raced for the University of New Hampshire while earning a degree in Mathematics. After college, she moved to Colorado, where she completed a master’s in Bioengineering, coached skiing, learned to mountain bike—and coached that, too. Though Dr. Kruse initially pursued research, she eventually realized it was not the right path for her. She earned her EMT license and began working in a community emergency department, where she discovered her passion for medicine. This led her to medical school at the University of Vermont and ultimately back to the ER as an Emergency Medicine resident at the University of Utah. During residency, Dr. Kruse found herself wanting deeper connections with her patients and more time to support them through complex illnesses and life-altering diagnoses. She was fortunate to find mentorship at the intersection of Emergency Medicine and Palliative Care, and while she deeply valued her time in the ER, she’s thrilled to be starting the next chapter of her journey as a Palliative Care fellow at the University of Utah.
