I almost didn‘t become a family doctor. In medical school, I was actively talked out of family medicine and told I would be settling for less and closing the door to opportunities. Luckily, I took a family medicine rotation early in my fourth year of medical school and rediscovered what I knew all along—that family medicine was not closing but opening a door for me to a world of rewarding opportunities. There is no other discipline of medicine that is as well-suited to my personality and skills. I love providing comprehensive care to my patients as well as being their advocate as they negotiate the medical system. I value the trusting relationships I‘ve formed over the years.

In my 14 years of private practice, I have experienced almost every model of practice—from group to solo, from managed-care to self-employed. I enjoyed all of it, but found myself wanting to try something I‘ve always wondered if I could do—teach.

I was fortunate to know some of the physicians who worked part-time as family medicine faculty for U of L and began doing gratis work at the family medicine centers.

The rest is history…I‘ve been on the faculty for 3 years and have loved every minute of it! I discovered that my clinical experience was a good preparation for the real-time teaching in the clinics. I wasn‘t so sure about lecturing to large groups but, with some practice, I now look forward to my lectures to colleagues, residents and medical students.

I hope the young physicians and physicians-to-be that I work with can see my love for what I do and can enter their careers with the same enthusiasm. Not everyone has the “stuff”to be a family doctor, but I hope those that do will be encouraged, not discouraged, from pursuing their dream.