Allina Health

"I went into medicine because I was always into sports and really liked the human body, and just had a natural inclination towards the sciences. I knew I wanted to do something to help people so I was either going to become a teacher or a physician and physician means teacher so that worked out really nicely.

"I chose pediatrics right from the start. I just love kids, I grew up all around kids, my mom was a daycare provider in our home and I'm one of four in my family so it was really just a natural inclination towards that. Through all of my rotations and residencies, it was just the right fit.

"So since I'm a general pediatrician, I see a really wide range of ailments, from normal well infants all the way from the birthing process, all the way to well child [exams], through their adolescence. I'll see families through college as need be and keep them updated as they go. I also see for sick visits, for your common pediatric illnesses from asthma, ADHD, allergies, common cold and ear infections. I like to talk to families about obesity, and try to help the families lose some weight as a group, so really anything you need, I'm like a first person to come to and then I can refer you on if need be.

"One really great health tip that I say to my families is what you put into it is what you get out of it. So in general, if you're eating healthy, if you're outside and being active, if you're asking questions about your health proactively and seeking answers, you're going to get that same thing out of it. So the more vitality and life you put into life, you'll also get that back."