Resident Spotlight: Elise Blaseg, MD A Bit About Dr. Blaseg I was born and raised in Kalispell, Montana. I stayed in Montana for college, attending Montana State University in Bozeman where I met my husband, Nate. The two of us went to medical school together in his home state of South Dakota. We moved to Salt Lake City for residency (me in family medicine and Nate in pediatrics) and currently live with our two adventure buddies, our pups Bridger and Harper. We enjoy being outside and spend our free time skiing, camping and hiking. I inherited a sourdough starter from my best friend and have been experimenting with some new baking recipes. I love to read and am always looking for recommendations! The Journey to Family Medicine I have always been excited about teaching and entered college as an education major. After getting my EMT and working more in the medical field, I realized that I could still be a teacher as a doctor, and beyond that, medicine would allow me to create a tangible and lasting difference in my community. I entered medical school with absolutely no concept of where I wanted to end up. I liked all the rotations I did and was trying desperately to decide which specialty was the right fit for me. I think often of the quote “I cannot do all the good the world needs. But the world needs all the good I can do.” Family medicine was the way I felt I could do the most good. The incredible mentors I have had reaffirmed that family medicine is a place for those who want to do good. Over and over, I am amazed at the dedication, compassion and brilliance of family medicine physicians and doctors like our assistant program director, Dr. Melanie Dance. Choosing St. Mark’s Family Medicine Residency My husband and I couples matched in Salt Lake City. I knew I wanted to apply at St. Mark’s months before applications were due. I had read about the Clinic Every Day model and spent hours discussing the logistics of the program with the residents. St. Mark’s Family Medicine Residency (SMFMR) is small enough to allow flexibility in pursuing education and as the only residents at our hospital, we get the undivided attention and enthusiasm of our specialists. While the program has a lot of really great aspects, its best feature has always been the residents. I am so grateful for my co-residents who have transformed residency from a crucible to a camaraderie. We have slowly coerced more and more residents into buying pizza ovens, so now when we have pizza parties, we go all out. We have resident events like Cookie Party, Egg Drop (which is exactly what it sounds like) and Gilmore Girls nights, where we get to focus on being people and not providers. Experience as an AAFP Emerging Leader Institute Scholar Being a Scholar was a lot of fun! You get to meet a bunch of highly motivated and charismatic family medicine trainees and attend leadership training together. Over the course of a year, you create a project with the guidance of leaders in family medicine and the support from the other members of your cohort. I was absolutely blown away by the projects people came up with and the amazing work they are already doing. The future of family medicine is in good hands. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to explore the breadth of what family medicine can become. Plans After Residency I have been fortunate to work through the Lifestyle Medicine Residency Curriculum concurrently during my training. | 20
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