Pub. 4 2020 Issue 2

Member Spotlight Lida Ogden, M.D. To start, can you tell us about your life (where you grew up, went to school, etc.) and your journey to practicing family medicine? I was born and grew up in Chile, and I wanted to be a doctor for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I was sick frequently, and I admired our pediatri- cian very much. When I was about six, my mom says that I went to a doctor’s visit, and I greeted him by saying, “Hola colega!” (Hi Colleague!). I always liked science and math, and I thought it was fascinating to learn how things work in our bodies. I also genuinely enjoy the opportunities to serve peo- ple that medicine provides. Chile’s educational system is quite different from the U.S. in that high school students must decide early on what career path they want to follow. There isn’t really a pathway of general education or a bachelor’s degree; instead, university students begin their professional education after graduating from high school. There- fore, I started medical school at age 16 (because I had skipped a grade in elementary school). I attended the Universidad de Concepción School of Medicine. Even starting medical school at such a young age, they had us visiting hospitals starting the first year. So, I had patients calling me a doctor at that young age, and I was terrified. The training was rigorous and demanding, with long hours and in a male-domi- nated school. I was fortunate to have great friends and classmates, where we helped and took care of each other. Residency in Chile was brutal, without regulations about the hours per week allowed. Spending a few days in a row, nonstop, was commonplace. My husband, who is American, and I met when he was visiting Chile in December 1995. He had served a religious mission previously and was just visiting people he knew, and we miraculously (a story for another time) got together and started dating. After our marriage in January 1997, we lived in Chile for nearly four years while I finished the last years of medical school and then I practiced for almost two years at a community health center. Practicing medicine in a local community clinic after graduating was some of my most treasured times. I will cherish my time working with very humble people, with very limited re- sources, and feeling the love of those I constantly served. We then moved to the U.S.; my hus- band did his Ph.D. at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, and then his Post Doc at Arizona State University in Mesa, Arizona. I worked part-time teaching anatomy and physiology at Utah Valley University and Rio Salado Community College while in Arizona. Meanwhile, I studied for and eventu- ally passed the USMLE board exams and validated my title and academic degree. I began the process of enter- ing the match and interviewing for a specialty. I will never forget being in the hospital the day after having had my third child. We opened up the computer to discover that I was ac- cepted at Idaho State University in the Family Medicine Residency program. I was happy to finally be in a residency, while devastated knowing I would be gone long hours during the next three years with three small children. The residency here in the U.S. was much better. The Idaho State Univer- sity program in Pocatello, Idaho, was fantastic. Learning the U.S. system was a challenge, but my training was excellent, and I continued to polish the English language. Our residency director (Dr. Cree) was so supportive of all of us resident mothers, and even though the hours were long and hard, we were there learning, and I loved my attendings and col- leagues. I felt prepared and ready to go out and practice medicine again once I finished. After completing my residency training, we moved back to Utah, where I began practicing for the University of Utah and my hus- band as a biology professor at Utah Valley University. We now have four children, three girls and one boy. My widowed mother has lived with us since residency, helping me with everything from changing diapers, cleaning the house, doing the wash, and preparing meals. Between my mom, my husband and me, we make one mother. I continue to work with the University of Utah Health, in Orem, in Family Medicine. I love spending time with my children and hiking; we love musicals, so we love singing together, making music and practicing our religion. I enjoy running, playing the guitar, and read- ing alone and with my children. Member Spotlight | Continued on page 12 11 |