Pub. 4 2020 Issue 2

more isolated outpost. Instead, his former residency approached him to return to the Camp Pendleton Family Medicine Residen - cy as a faculty member. Although return- ing to a place he had already lived did not meet his goal of having new adventures and experiencing new things, teaching at Camp Pendleton turned out to be a fantas - tic experience. He was fresh from his experience in Guam, followed by the obstetric fellowship that al- lowed him to share those skills and experi- ence with the residents. After a two-year assignment teaching at the residency, he had fulfilled his military obligations, but he was not quite done having adventures yet. The next opportunity took Christianson and his family to Naples, Italy, for three years. Although it is a city of 3 million people, the Naval base is still somewhat isolated, so in many ways serving there still felt like a rural rotation and rural experi- ence. As a family physician, he covered the emergency room, delivered babies and ran a full-scope practice. These adventurous assignments were also, once again, ben- eficial to his family. His children all learned Italian while there, and the family was able to explore Europe during their time there. At the end of the three years in Italy, it was time to make some family decisions. They had family members back in Utah with ongoing care needs. So, the Christianson family decided it was time to settle down and head home. Christianson called a friend who was a resident at the Utah Valley Family Medicine Residency to inquire about possible job opportunities. The timing was perfect as a faculty member involved in obstetric care was just stepping back. They hoped to find someone with the obstetric and rural medicine experience and family medicine perspective that Christianson possessed. Dr. Christianson decided to fly from Italy to Utah (over a weekend!) to interview for the position. Shortly after arriving home in Italy, he found out he was being offered the Utah Valley job. After living in California, Guam, and Italy and moving seven times in 11 years, the Christianson family ended up moving into a house just one block away from where a teenage Marlin lived while attending high school. This new location felt like a strange move for a man who regularly sought new adventures. “When we moved back, I didn’t know what it would be like moving forward,” Christianson says. “But being in a residency is a built-in adventure with excitement and a newness every year. Just the fact that we have a class graduating each year and each year we are interview- ing brand-new, excited medical students — it really does feel like a new job every year. To see medicine through the residents’ eyes as they are learning things for the first time has kept it very fresh.” Additionally, practicing medicine in a more urban set- ting has enabled Christianson to continue experiencing a fuller scope of practice, combining the hospital, clinic and teaching. “It’s the best of a full scope rural practice, while in a city,” according to Christianson. Marlin Christianson and second Year Resident, Danial Payne, M.D. Don’t worry, those steins are full of root beer! Dr. Marlin Christianson | Continued on page 24 Teaching Resi- dents During a Pandemic When one seeks out new adventures, those adven- tures may come in a more challenging form. During a global pandemic, teaching residents could certainly qualify as an “adventure,” albeit an extremely chal- lenging one. However, rather than focusing on the uncertainty and fear staff and residents feel during this time of crisis, Christian- son instead emphasizes the energy and focus of the young doctors. “Just com- ing from the perspective of experience, you realize — in a good way — how inno- cent and naïve our learners are coming into this and how grateful we are for their dedication to exem- plary care. When things feel overwhelming, the impulse can be to step back from challenges and make life easier in stressful times. However, we see our brand- new residents encountering this challenge with great enthusiasm and willingness, in a very safe way, to put themselves in harm’s way to do something meaning- ful for their patients and their families.” This willing- ness from residents does not mean that Christianson does not worry about the safety of his colleagues and students. He continually hopes that the informa- tion about how best to protect health care provid- ers against contracting the virus is valid and that those providers will be safe, not taking undue risks. “These residents are young, they have young families, and there is always that mo- ment of doubt about how this is really going to play out. Thankfully we have had 23 |