Rocky Vista University Southern Utah Campus Representative – Maria Kothari

Hometown: Alliston, Ontario, Canada

Best thing about Utah? The red mountains and the weather!

Favorite way to de-stress: Call my family and friends or watch my favourite TV with a warm cup of tea!

Fun fact about you: I spent my gap year teaching English to preschoolers and first graders in Madrid, Spain!

Why family medicine? Coming from a rural community in Canada, many of my healthcare experiences took place in small settings, whether it was volunteering at my hometown hospital or shadowing physicians at a local family medicine clinic. These exposures showed me the importance of accessible, comprehensive care in underserved areas and deepened my passion for serving those populations. I also had the opportunity to see how new immigrants navigated the healthcare system in these communities. Witnessing their challenges with language barriers and health insurance made me even more committed to family medicine, where I could provide not only medical care but also advocacy, guidance, and long-term support.