John Gerlach, MD

Where are you from? Washington and Northern California

What are your personal interests/hobbies? Food — eating it, making it, growing it; cycling/endurance sports; music and theater

What are your professional interests? Hoping to work at the intersection of urban emergency medicine and primary care for the underserved and undoctored. Also interested in austere medicine and relief work.

Why did you choose U of A emergency medicine? I'm coming to emergency medicine after completing a residency in family medicine. Even though I didn't apply to dual EM-Peds, coming from another specialty, I was really interested in a program that had thought critically about how to integrate emergency medicine with less-emergent generalist medicine, since that's what I'm trying to do. I also wanted to practice in a busy, urban major referral center with all of the complexity and pathology that comes with that. I also want to practice in a program that has an established track record of training well-rounded emergency room doctors who can work anywhere after graduation.

What is your favorite activity in Tucson or what attracted you to Tucson besides the residency program? I am excited to live in a beautiful, diverse, vibrant city full of amazing food, nature and, most importantly, year-round sun.

What are your nonmedical goals during residency? Trying to keep my dog from overheating, my cat from overeating, keep some plants alive and get on my bike as much as possible.