FMRWM Faculty

Where did you attend college?

The University of North Carolina -- Go Heels!

Where did you do your residency?

Cone Health Family Medicine Residency 

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

Global health, refugee care, wilderness medicine, inpatient medicine, conservation medicine

What do you most enjoy about practicing Family Medicine?

I enjoy both the depth and the breadth of medicine we experience in Family Medicine.  It's the only discipline that allows for inpatient, outpatient, obstetrics, emergency care, all while fostering long-term relationships with patients.  Furthermore, family medicine provides leadership opportunities as we make the switch to team-based, patient-centered care.  

What do you enjoy most about teaching?

I love interacting with both medical students and residents and seeing the trajectory of knowledge that learners embark upon as they move through their early careers.  Teaching provides the ability to retain inpatient and outpatient skills, while forcing me to stay current on medical topics.  Finally, being in a residency provides ongoing camaraderie amongst peers and provides a natural rhythm to the year with it's built-in beginnings and endings.    

What brought you to Montana?

Having grown up and spent the majority of my life in North Carolina, I made the decision to "come out West" in a general sense.  It was specifically the FMRWM program and the area of western Montana that made the decision.  

Why did you choose to be part of FMRWM?

I was initially impressed with everyone's enthusiasm about their job and for the program in general.  Now that I've spent time here, I'm continually inspired by the people around me at work -- residents, staff, faculty -- who can only be labeled as "top performers."  I'm proud and excited to be part of such an amazing team!

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

Running, reading, writing, and spending time outdoors.  

What do you love most about Western Montana?

Rugged mountains, quick-moving rivers, wildlife watching, fly fishing -- what's not to love about western Montana?  The range of outdoor activities is unparalleled here, and the city and people of Missoula provide a haven of culture within the outdoor lifestyle.  

What is your favorite:

• Book?  Two of them:  The Road -- although brutal, it's ultimately a parable on life and love at the most fundamental level.  Blood Meridian -- one of the best descriptions of the human condition put to paper
• Album?  Kid A
• Movie?  Another tie:  2001 A Space Odyssey and The Shining