Associate Program Director for Clinical Operations

Where did you attend college? 

I have a BA in Social Studies from Harvard and then (with a stint in the Peace Corps in between) I completed a post-bacc premedical program at the University of Vermont. I went to medical school at Dartmouth.

Where did you do your residency?

Here at the Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana!

Within your specialty, do you have any sub-specialty areas of practice that you particularly enjoy?

Pediatrics, women’s health, talking with people about end of life care. More than anything, I enjoy following people through different stages of life. I have been seeing some of my patients now since the beginning of residency which is immensely rewarding. Someone once told me that in primary care you “specialize” in your individual patients, which resonates with me more and more the longer I am in practice. A lot of my work as APD for clinic operations is focused on quality improvement in the clinic setting which is simultaneously challenging and rewarding.

What do you most enjoy about practicing Family Medicine?

The privilege of learning people’s stories. The challenge of the undifferentiated patient. The culture of caring about people’s context. The team work.

What do you enjoy most about teaching?

I love that the learners with whom I work help me to see where my own gaps in understanding are and help me question my own assumptions/habits. It is awesome to see so many different effective styles of practice and to help learners to cultivate their own styles and build on their strengths. I’m also a total nerd so I love being forced to think about pathophysiology more than I might if I weren’t involved in teaching. It helps to give me perspective on why we are doing what we are doing.  

What brought you to Montana?

This program…and my husband, who is an avid fly fisherman.

Why did you choose to be part of FMRWM?

The people. The incredible faculty and residents and the palpable positive energy was a huge part of what drew me to this program for residency. When it came time to explore options for “real” jobs, I knew that I would be hard pressed to find such a dedicated, supportive and FUN group of colleagues anywhere else. So I stayed.

What are some of your interests outside of the clinic or classroom?

Skiing (or, more accurately at this juncture, teaching my kids to ski), walking and hiking on some of the awesome nearby trails, fly fishing and exploring Montana rivers, camping, reading, baking, taking my kids to live music, and impromptu kitchen dance parties with my daughters.

What do you love about Western Montana?

The people. The farmers markets, the open space, the myriad choices for outdoor activities, the frequent festivals/concerts/fairs, the live music.

What is your favorite:

• Book? Two books brought me to medicine so I need to include those: Mountains Beyond Mountains and The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. I also really enjoy a good mystery (Louise Penny series is my favorite) and my fair share of beach reads.
• Album? Emmylou Harris’ Brand New Dance, Traveling Wilburys Vol. I, Paul Simon Negotiations and Love Songs, The Big Chill soundtrack, and most Brandi Carlile albums. My husband recently got a record player and has quite eclectic tastes so we’ve got a lot of musical variety in our home these days.
• Movie? Reality Bites, Footloose (Kevin Bacon version, not the new one), Anne of Green Gables (Canadian mini-series version) are among my most watched.