Why Utah?
My path to Triple Board training technically began when I was a first-year medical student, but in hindsight, my prior life experiences laid relevant groundwork that led me toward combined pediatrics and psychiatry training. I taught bilingual third grade for two years prior to medical school, and while I valued my work as a classroom teacher, I realized many of my students needed less instructional support than social-emotional support to succeed - their experiences of childhood trauma and adversity often presented barriers to their academic success. Entering medical school, I sought out opportunities to work with kids in the Providence community and developed an unexpected interest in adolescent reproductive and mental health in the process. Despite early and frequent exposure to Triple Board at Brown and my baseline interest in pediatrics, it took time to realize pediatrics training alone wouldn’t fully equip me with the broad, interdisciplinary skill set and clinical experience necessary to holistically advocate for the mental and physical health of kids, families, and communities. When considering Triple Board programs, I prioritized programs with equally robust pediatrics and psychiatry training as well as the culture and camaraderie among current residents and program leaders. My interview at Utah was such a breath of fresh air, literally and figuratively speaking - I had never visited the state before and was so pleasantly surprised by the balance of high-quality yet supportive residency training set amidst incredibly beautiful mountain scenery. (Did I mention I got to ski some powder the day after my interview?) It was clear the residents across pediatrics, Triple Board and psychiatry worked hard to become great clinicians together, and Triple Board as a concept seemed well-integrated and appreciated across departments. I immediately felt at home among “my people” when spending time with Triple Boarders at Utah, and that strong sense of community has persisted and been invaluable during my transition into residency. I’m so grateful to have matched here and look forward to the next five years of life as a Utahn!
Hometown: Prospect Heights, IL
