Pub. 4 2020 Issue 2

A s a child growing up in Gaines- ville, Florida, Marlin Christianson loved to fish. On one occasion, young Marlin caught a fish and went about cleaning it for the family to enjoy for dinner. His father noticed his skill at what some might consider a fairly gruesome task and commented, “You know what, you seem pretty comfortable doing that. You should be a doctor!” Over the years following that fateful fishing trip, Dr. Christianson had several positive interactions with youth leaders, teach- ers, and other adults who were physicians whom he admired, furthering his commit- ment to pursue a career in medicine one day. One of nine children, Marlin’s parents encouraged all of their children to work in professions that would benefit others, and becoming a doctor one day certainly lived up to that ideal. He also came to know several people serving in the military, and it seemed to him that they were having exceptional adventures, traveling the world and learning things. Exploring the world while working as a physician was an ideal combination for Marlin. Just prior to Marlin beginning high school, his father developed some health is- sues and had a chance to come back to live and work in his home state of Utah. After graduating from high school in Utah County, Marlin completed his undergradu- ate at Brigham Young University. Before Dr. Marlin Christianson: When Teaching Becomes the Greatest Adventure Yet medical school, he applied for military scholarships that would enable him to combine both opportuni- ties he strove to pursue. As a recipient of a mili- tary scholarship from the Navy, he attended medical school at the University of Utah. He then completed his residency training at Camp Pendleton near San Diego, California. According to Christianson, “The Navy tends to train with a rural emphasis because in the military you may find yourself more isolated without a lot of referral support and other resources. That training fed my love for procedural experience and learning to teach medical procedures, particularly obstetric proce- dures.” His first assignment post-residency was to a na- val station on Guam in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Guam, an island of only 210 square miles (about the size of Chicago), gave him the experience of working in an isolated community, practicing “old school” fam- ily medicine. At the end of the two-year assignment in Guam, Christianson com- pleted a one-year fellowship in complicated obstetrics in Orlando, Florida, which provided the opportunity to learn more advanced procedures. Of course, his family also benefited from the opportunity by purchas- ing a one-year pass to Walt Disney World! Christianson assumed after his fellowship that the Navy would send him to a www.UtahAFP.org | 22