Chris Frank grew up in a small community near Ann Arbor Michigan and graduated with a B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Michigan. He then enrolled in an MD/PhD program at John Hopkins in Baltimore, before he realized that he was a generalist at heart. During rural family medicine rotations, Chris was inspired to see family medicine from a generalist’s perspective and decided to immerse himself in rural medicine training. Chris writes “I have a long-standing interest in the connections between the environment and human health. I enjoy a wide range of outdoor activities including gardening, hiking, canoeing, kayaking and cross-country skiing.” Chris is married to Jennifer, who works as an orthotist and prosthetist. They are the proud parents of a 1 ½ year old daughter, Abby.

Bridget Delong grew up in Clinton, Wisconsin, and she completed both her undergraduate and medical degrees at UW-Madison. She has a strong interest in rural medicine, as evidenced by her leadership role throughout medical school in the Rural Health Interest Group. She first discovered her passion for rural medicine as a student researcher for the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health, where she focused her work on mental health issues among the elderly in two Wisconsin counties. She then went on to complete a summer externship in Clinton, WI, and a longitudinal rural rotation in Black River Falls, WI. In addition, during her first two years in medical school Bridget volunteered regularly at the Salvation Army Clinic for Women and Children. Working with a variety of family doctors in these varied settings led Bridget to choose Family Medicine as her specialty, and she joins the residency program as part of the Baraboo Rural Training Track. In her spare time, Bridget enjoys camping, hiking, hunting, and participating in a variety of sports. Her other hobbies include refinishing furniture, reading, listening to music, and following UW athletics.

Karen Swallen grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota. After graduating from Yale University with a B.A. in Political Science, she moved to California to conduct smoking cessation research at the Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention. She then went on to earn an MPH in Epidemiology/Biostatistics and a Ph.D. in Demography from the University of California at Berkeley before returning to the Midwest to pursue an academic career. For more than six years she taught sociology at UW-Madison, including courses in demography, aging, and medical sociology. Ultimately, however, Karen realized that her primary goal was to make a difference at the individual level for health, so she entered medical school at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. As a medical student, she was a leader of the Dr. Mom interest group, a student organization that provides support and activities for medical students who are also parents, and also volunteered at MEDiC and in the Madison public schools. Her primary interests are in public health, preventative medicine, and the health of children and mothers. Outside of medicine, her primary interests revolve around her three children and outdoor family activities such as running, camping and biking. When she does get some time to herself, she enjoys reading and puzzles (Sudoku and Kakuro are current favorites).