It is with great sadness that we share with you the news that one our former resident, Dr. Garon Coriz, died this past weekend following a climbing accident near Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Dr. Coriz completed medical school at the University of New Mexico in 2013, followed by graduation from the University of Utah Family Medicine Residency in 2016. After residency, he went to practice in rural Salina, UT, working for the North Sevier Medical Clinic with Intermountain Health Care.
Today we pay tribute to Dr. Coriz by sharing the blog post he wrote during his third year of residency.
How to Be Someone in Medicine
By: Garon Coriz
Originally published: September 2, 2015
Like a playful spirit, the sun seemed to stop its descent just beyond the flat-topped mesas to the west and paint the cerulean blues of the sky a soft orange and spatter the high-flying cirrus a brilliant pink. My young feet kicked up the fine dirt of a makeshift basketball court at a relative’s home that stood alone across the broad arroyo from the rest of my village. The scorching heat of the sun finally relinquished its grip on the parched land and gave me pause. I gazed across the valley over the cottonwoods of the bosque that follows the Rio Grande south to the Gulf of Mexico. I knew I didn’t have long until my mom would make her way over to pick me up after a 40-minute commute from Albuquerque. I have yet to figure out when, why, or how, but that moment over 22 years ago planted a seed of purpose within me. I recall nodding in agreement when I said “I would be someone.”
At the time, my family’s love would trump the frustrations of being only half native. Some of the children would tease incessantly, labeling me white buffalo. My protective cousins would fend them off. When alone, my brother’s reputation as a star basketball player kept me somewhat safe, but still, frequent fights defending myself required schooling elsewhere than the local tribal school.
To read the rest of the article, please click HERE. You can also click HERE if you would like to read the email Dr. Kirsten Stoesser sent to residency faculty and alumni in memory of Dr. Coriz.
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