I'm originally from Yuma, AZ, known to many as the hottest city in Arizona as well as the lettuce capital of the world (No joke, the last salad you ate probably came from Yuma!). Coming from a family and a culture where most people don't venture too far away from family, I made the scary decision of moving away for college and even though Tucson is only 3.5 hours from Yuma, for my family and myself it was a big deal. Looking back, however, I think it was one of the best decisions I could have ever made because Tucson, the U of A and the experiences I had while there have changed my life forever. I grew and matured so much and had it not been for U of A and what I learned there, I never would have had the guts to move to Columbus, OH to attend medical school at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Though I absolutely loved it there, being 2,000 miles away from family and my husband was tough, so I decided I wanted to move back home to Tucson and return to the place where I got my bachelor's, made lifetime friends and also met my husband who was my organic chem TA back in the day. :)
Now that I'm back, I couldn't be happier. I love Tucson, I'm close to family and I've even acquired a new family in my fellow Family Medicine residents. In terms of my interests within family medicine, I love rural and underserved healthcare and preventative health. When I'm not busy being a resident, I love running, hiking, hanging out with friends, spending time with my husband and being a mama to my fur babies, Annabelle (dog) and Tiger (cat). I also love trying out new restaurants, especially local ones. Any time there's a chance to have fun and eat at the same time, you'll probably find me there! I'm truly grateful for the opportunity to be part of this amazing program and look forward to what the next 3 years will bring.