"I was born and raised in rural Michigan, where I learned the importance of family and hard work. I was lucky to have forests, lakes, and trout streams a bike ride up the road. My mother, an operating room nurse, worked at the local community hospital for 42 years before she retired. I always loved sitting around the dinner table hearing her stories about working at the hospital, and I knew from a very young age I would someday by a doctor.
I started my higher education at Michigan State University graduating with high honors in biochemistry and went onto medical school at Wayne State University School of Medicine. During my clinical rotations I found myself drawn to Family Medicine. I enjoyed the many facets of primary care and the focus on preventing disease. I found this refreshing compared to many other specialties that focused on detecting and treating diseases that had already harmed the patient. After graduating medical school, I headed to Sacramento California to continue my education at the UCD School of Medicine – Family Medicine Residency Program. It was not long before I fell in love with the people and the great outdoors of Northern California. My residency training proved to be a wonderful learning experience. I was honored to severe as Chief Resident and being awarded the Outstanding Resident Leadership Award of the Sacramento Chapter of the California Academy of Family Physicians."
