Philip Zazove, M.D., the George A. Dean, M.D. Chair of Family Medicine congratulates Julie Blaszczak on the prestigious Terence C. Davies Award.
Julie graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.S. in anthropology in 2012. She has been very active in a variety of research efforts, including work with Tammy Chang, M.D., assistant professor. In May 2013, Julie received the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Student Summer Research Fellowship Award which allowed her to conduct research on the social and cultural aspects of sickle cell disease.
As a medical student, Julie was heavily involved in multiple service activities – many in a leadership role. Her range of interests and activities included: Safe House, a shelter and resource center in Ann Arbor that provides support to those impacted by domestic violence and/or sexual assault; free clinics; Food Gatherers, a nonprofit organization that aims to alleviate hunger by distributing food to nonprofit organizations throughout Washtenaw County, Mich.; patient and family advisory councils; student government; reproductive rights; human rights for survivors of torture and violence; and lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender, and questioning issues.
“An advisor outside of family medicine once told me that I needed to narrow my interests. I should find a focus as my CV made me appear ‘scattered.’ As I walked home from the meeting, I tried to imagine which passion I should retire. Teaching biology or advocating for LGBTQ issues? Volunteering at a clinic for the underserved or exploring illness through research? I felt uncomfortable with all of the possible scenarios I was creating. Unfortunately, I was attempting to adapt myself to a specific future instead of finding a profession that embraced my wide variety of passions. Luckily, I was soon exposed to numerous faculty members from the Department of Family Medicine who had built careers around multiple interests and encouraged me to continue to explore mine as well. They helped me to realize that I was building the well-balanced view of health care that is essential to family medicine,” Julie said.
As an M4, Julie was a student participant in the Patients and Populations Branch Pilot Program that explored options for a future primary care-based branch of the U-M Medical School curriculum. She was also a member of the U-M Alpha Omega Alpha chapter and the first U-M student to receive the 2015 STFM Conference on Medical Student Education Student Scholarship.
Respected by her peers, Julie was chosen by her classmates to receive the Patrick Niland Award at medical school commencement and also received the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award at the medical school graduation awards luncheon.
Julie will begin her residency training at the University of Michigan with her continuity practice at the Ypsilanti Health Center.
This award was established in honor of the founding Chair of the Department of Family Medicine, Terence C. Davies, M.D. and is listed in the program at graduation. The award is presented to a graduating senior(s) who exemplifies the qualities of an outstanding family physician: dedication to patient needs, intellectual curiosity, personal integrity, community service and leadership.
