Hometown:
Salt Lake City, UT

Undergraduate studies:
BS in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Johns Hopkins

What clubs and activities are you currently involved with?
President of SA-ACOFP, President of SAAO, Sustainability Committee, Get Fit Friday Committee, Sigma Sigma Phi Honor Society

Why did you choose RVUCOM?
I chose RVUCOM because of the sense of community and the attention to each and every student. During interview day and people I talked to afterwards I was amazed how well the students knew the administration, professors, and overall staff and how comfortable they felt walking in and chatting with faculty. That sense of community coupled with location and track record of excellence made it a great choice for me.

What do you like most about RVUCOM?
The thing I love most about RVU is the community. Everyone – students and faculty - is always willing to take a moment and share study material, explain a concept to you, and overall supportive of each other. They are excited about trying new ideas and talking through innovations to see what we can implement to improve the community around us. That sense of everyone working hard on their own goals but still taking the time to support those around them makes for a strong sense of community here at RVU and is my favorite thing about being here.

What are your medical interests?
Right now I’m torn between family medicine and some surgical specialties but I’m excited to explore them more through rotations so I can make a more informed decision.

What do you appreciate most about Utah and the local area?
It’s wonderful how accessible the outdoors in and how prolific the outdoor community. I definitely need the outdoors and exercise to maintain my sanity and having access to such amazing places makes those mornings spent on the trail even better.

What do you do in your spare time?
I have an eclectic set of hobbies. Besides getting outside to mountain bike, hike, climb, ride horses and camp I absolutely love to cook, bake, brew beer, build furniture. I’m constantly trying to learn as much as I can about each different hobby and occasionally picking up new ones. It keeps life interesting and I love the sense of accomplishment that comes with every little success.

What advice do you have for first-year students?
Relax. From now through the rest of your life there’s always going to be more to do than you can accomplishment. Between paperwork, patients, CME, house maintenance, family time, hobbies, trips, and just life in general there will always be more that you can do. Take a breath and focus on what you can do right this moment rather than all the things you still have to get done. It will make every process more manageable. Sometimes, that next step is to just take a moment for yourself; get outside, veg on the couch, just to relax and enjoy where you are at and all you’ve accomplished.

Fun facts about you.
I love woodworking and use mostly hand tools. Some of my tools are planes, drills, and saws from my great grandfather. I’ve only built a couple pieces - a jewelry box, bath board, side tables, and I’m currently working on a bed – but I love how relaxing the process is to completely focus on something so removed from everything going on around me.

What is your favorite class currently and why?
My favorite subject right now is OPP. I am really enjoying my other classwork but there is so much to learn before getting to the more common medical topics that it is nice to be able to actually help friends and family when they are in pain. I may not have a great answer if you ask me about your rash but I will definitely try to help you with your back pain.