Erik Gulbrandsen, DO I grew up in Provo, attended Timpview High School, was an All-State cross country and track athlete, and trained under Hall of Fame coach Brian Kuhlmann. I turned down scholarship offers at multiple schools and competed at BYU as a preferred walk-on, fulfilling a lifelong dream of wearing the cougar uniform. After a church mission in Brazil, I decided that my racing days were over, and it was time to focus on school. I regularly tell my adolescent patients that my high school GPA was 2.94 and my college GPA was 3.85, hoping to help them gain self-confidence and to recognize their own potential, even though they have failed classes. My wife Annalisa and I met at the BYU bookstore, where I was price-checking economics textbooks for my textbook arbitrage business. I thought she was cute, so I introduced myself and asked for her phone number, and the rest is history. We are the proud parents of seven children. She continues to be the single most important story in my history. I am the high school baseball pitching coach at Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy, which is my second parttime job (albeit unpaid). Having never played the sport, I’ve spent way too much time reading textbooks, articles, and medical literature to help me craft my coaching. We finished second in UHSAA 2A this year, and my pitchers had the lowest ERA in the league. I have a special focus on injury prevention for throwing athletes and organized free online training for coaches and athletes. My other part-time job (still, unpaid) is to live broadcast sporting events. This is my favorite hobby, and I consider myself a modern-day one-man band. I do commentary, run the scoreboard overlays, switch the music, and change the camera angles for the six cameras I strategically place around the playing area, all from my lawn chair. The Journey to Become a Physician As I mentioned, I attended BYU as an undergrad and majored in economics. I attended medical school at A.T. Still University in Mesa, Arizona and served as Chief Resident at Southern Illinois University Family Medicine Residency in Carbondale. I come from a family of nurses and physicians, so I had cousins and grandparents I revered as a child. I never really remember a day when I said, “I’m gonna be a doctor.” My greatest mentor in college was my organic chemistry professor, Steven Fleming, who never directly answered my questions, but always guided me to find my own answers. My most influential preceptor in medical school was my OB/GYN preceptor, Douglas Gates, MD, as he showed me superior skills in doctoring by establishing a lasting doctor/patient relationship. My most inspirational leader was my residency program director, Penny Tippy, MD, who gave me the freedom to pursue my educational interests as a resident. Choosing Family Medicine As a fourth-year medical student, I was doing a site visit in Kentucky for a triple board Psych/Peds/CAP residency program, and it seemed perfect for me. The next Monday morning, I started my ER rotation, and while I didn’t enjoy the short-lived relationships in the ER, I was reminded how much I loved diagnostic medicine and changed my plan. My FM preceptors, hearing my interest in psychiatry and pediatrics, counseled me that I could manage a large practice of FM patients with mental health needs, as well as care for pediatric patients. Their guidance was paramount in this decision process. I come from a family of nurses and physicians, so I had cousins and grandparents I revered as a child. Member Spotlight UtahAFP.org | 14
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy ODQxMjUw