"Helping people feel like themselves again is by far the most rewarding part of my job. Also, reducing the shame people may feel about their illness and helping to normalize their experience."
Kristin Francis, MD, is one of the inspired and talented doctors who make up the amazing team at the University of Utah Huntsman Mental Health Institute. She is an inpatient psychiatrist board-certified in both adult psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry.
We sent Dr. Francis a few questions to get to know her a little better, and she took a few moments from her busy schedule to share with us:
What was it that inspired you to become a psychiatrist?
I changed from family medicine my last year of medical school after completing a psychiatry rotation in addiction medicine. I saw that addiction was a brain disease and not a willpower problem, as people's entire lives had been ruined by their brain's dependence on a substance. I started exploring other areas of psychiatry and realized I loved them all. When someone's liver is sick, they turn yellow. When they have an infection, they run a fever. When someone's brain is ill, it changes how they act and feel. It is an exciting field to study and an incredibly rewarding area of medicine to treat.
What is your area of specialization and why?
I'm an inpatient child and adolescent psychiatrist. I work with youth admitted to the psychiatric hospital. Because kids are constantly growing, they can heal pretty quickly from psychiatric illness, preventing them from having a lifelong battle. Additionally, most conditions can be prevented from worsening if we treat them early on. Like Anorexia Nervosa: kids and teens have an 85% cure rate if treated aggressively with family-based treatment if caught right when problems start. That's a high cure rate in medicine.
I chose inpatient because I like a fast-paced environment and treating patients with high-acuity illnesses. I also enjoy helping people get through a crisis quickly. Kids are funny and crack me up, which also makes me enjoy my job. As a single mom, inpatient care allows me to spend a lot of time with my own kids and offers great work-life balance.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I read up on overnight events for patients in the hospital and then see them in person. We talk about how they are doing (feeling, behaving, medical symptoms). Then, I meet with the whole treatment team (a psychologist, a social worker, nursing staff, dietary staff) and adjust the patient's treatment plan. I focus on medication recommendations or adjustments and any medical concerns. I speak with parents and outpatient providers to make sure we're helping to stabilize the crisis. I am present to handle any emergencies that arise throughout the day. I also teach medical students and residents or see patients in the afternoons.
What are the most challenging aspects of your role?
Working with patients and parents who do not like your opinions or recommendations about their illness. Psychiatry is a very personal specialty of medicine; you're immediately asking someone to trust you with some of their most personal details, and at times see them at their darkest moments. I know how important it is to be direct, kind, and honest with someone when they are ill to get them the best treatment.
What is the most interesting part of your job? What is the most rewarding part of your job?
The way psychiatric illness shows up in people is interesting. We observe patterns, and it is still amazing to me how two people with entirely different lives and backgrounds can show similar behaviors from a psychiatric illness. It shows you that mental illness is a real thing! Helping people feel like themselves again is by far the most rewarding part of my job. Also, reducing the shame people may feel about their illness and helping to normalize their experience.
What do you like to do when you're not at work?
Like most Utahns, I like to spend my time outside. I'm usually chasing after my kids. We live up in the mountains, which is the best! We tent camp everywhere we can, and take lots of trips and ski together most weekends. I have the greatest group of friends and during non-pandemic times we are constantly together with our kids and families. I keep looking for new hobbies; recently, I've wished I knew how to drive monster trucks. I've tried canning—it wasn't a big success. I'm open to suggestions!
Kristin Francis, MD, assistant professor (clinical), received her medical degree from Mayo Medical School in Rochester, MN. She remained at the Mayo Clinic for residency and fellowship. During the fellowship, she served as chief resident and was awarded Best Grand Rounds Presentation.
Dr. Francis is board-certified in adult psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry. She enjoys teaching medical students and was recognized as Psychiatry Resident Teacher of the Year in 2010 and won the Triple Board Resident Teaching Award in 2015. She has a special interest in treating patients with eating disorders using family-based approaches. Dr. Francis practices at the University of Utah Huntsman Mental Health Institute as a child and adolescent inpatient psychiatrist, where she treats a wide range of psychiatric disorders.