Pub 5 2021 Issue1

Thank you www.mica-insurance.com Merci www.mica-insurance.com Looking at the future of family medicine, how do we as a state and as a country ensure there are enough family medicine physicians to meet the demand? I think that right now, we are in an interesting spot in history. We are seeing medical schools, particularly osteopathic med schools, opening in record numbers. Utah’s third medical school is coming online in Fall 2021. My concern is that we are not seeing a commensurate increase in residency slots. I think that this residency bottleneck is going to lead to a problem when it comes to meeting the physician demand. I think that as we get people to see both the value and challenge that exists in family medicine, we will get people more excited about it. I chose family medicine because it gives me the opportunity to be on the front lines of medical diagnosis and ensure that my patients get the care they need. I get to take care of procedures in the office. The limits to family medicine are broader than any other specialty. This gives us untold opportunities to shape and mold our futures as we desire. This is a major draw for future doctors. It is a significant reason that I chose this field, and I continue to see new possibilities for growth and development. Is there anything else you would like to share about yourself, family medicine, practicing medicine in Utah, or experiences that changed or influenced your career? Last summer, my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He only made it a few months after the diagnosis. During his last few months, I had the opportunity to see medicine from the other side. I saw the doctors who worked tirelessly to help him. I saw hospice nurses and aids that would come at all hours to ensure his needs were met. I also saw a caring nurse make sure that my mom had contacted church leaders to make sure she was supported through a difficult time. It made me that much more grateful for the profession that I have chosen. I was grateful for doctors who provided honest assessments of his disease and helped him make the difficult choices. This made me want to be even better at what I do. 15 |