Member Spotlight Erika Sullivan, MD First, a Bit About Dr. Sullivan: I was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. I am a fifth-generation Utahn, but my mom and my sister and I moved away soon after I was born so my mom could pursue medical training. We lived in Cleveland, Ohio, and Gainesville, Florida, while she was preparing for medical school, and then lived in Columbus, Ohio, while she was in medical school (at Ohio State). I was raised by a single mother who put herself through medical school, and for a long time lived with my mom, my sister, and my maternal grandmother in Cleveland — which is where I consider myself to be “from” even though I don’t think of it as my “home” anymore. My mom and her husband (they married when I went to college) live just outside New York City and are both retired. My sister and her family live in Nevada. I never married, but I met my partner in Chicago while in medical school. He lives with me here in Salt Lake City, and we have two children, aged eight and almost six, and a very old dog, aged 15. My interests include reading (and writing) romance novels, ballroom and hip-hop dancing, eating delicious food and playing the guitar. I also like to sew, occasionally plant things in the garden (which I’m passionate about in April and completely forget by August) and hang out with friends. I also enjoy TV and movies and like the social aspects of camping and less so the “let ’s carry 50 lbs. on our backs and walk for ten miles.” The Journey to Becoming a Physician I first became interested in science in AP biology during my senior year of high school. My biology teacher, Joyce Calo, was a major inspiration for my interest in science, especially biology. She was an incredible educator, and I credit her for “turning me on” to Biology. Two other high school teachers played a big role in my life, Cal Rose, who taught Political Philosophy and Mark Muthersbaugh, who taught BC Calculus. As an undergrad, I had two professors who really stood out: Dr. Mark Mahan, who taught Bacterial Pathogenesis. This course absolutely blew my mind for two reasons: bacteria have evolved INGENIOUS mechanisms to work around host defenses and Dr. Mahan was an incredibly skilled and devoted educator. He made me want to be a professor. There was another professor who taught a course on the American Civil Rights Movement, Dr. Otis Franklin Madison. He set the standard for me of what an educator should be. He was funny, but also insightful and he used narrative and storytelling in powerful ways that were truly compelling. He was the best professor I ever had. After undergrad, I moved to Hawaii and worked at a research lab for about six months before entering into a master’s degree program in microbiology at the University After undergrad, I moved to Hawaii and worked at a research lab for about six months before entering into a master’s degree program in microbiology at the University of Hawaii, Manoa. I was there from 2002 to 2004. UtahAFP.org | 16
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