I was born in Dragerton, Utah, a small coal mining town in the southeastern part of the state, but I was raised in Southern California and Salt Lake City, Utah. I entered the University of Utah at 16 years of age. At such a young age I could not decide on my lifetime career, so I spent several years studying various majors and I gained experience by working full time, both while in and out of school. During this period, I also served a two year mission for the LDS church in Southern Florida and Puerto Rico, where I learned to speak Spanish fluently. Later I married my wife, Maria, and today we have four great kids, Amber, Julia, Freddie, and Steven. I returned to college in 1980 and graduated from the University of Utah with a Bacherlor of Arts degree in Biology in 1984. I entered the University of Utah School of Medicine that Autumn. Since early medical school, I was particularly interested in primary care medicine, and I studied in the Family Practice Honors Program. I was also very active in numerous organizations and committees. I was instructor in Embryology/Child Development at the Utah Teen Mother's Home. At various times I served on the College Council, and was Vice President then President of the UMA/AMA Medical Student Section. I served on the Salt Lake County Medical Association Board of Trustees for one year, then spent another year on the Utah Medical Association Board of Trustees. After finishing medical school in 1988, I did my internship year of Family Practi