The Doctor Will Be In

Pine View HIgh School Grad Britney Le Deftly Juggles Time on Way to Medical Degree

By Marianne Hamilton

If Britney Le ever decides not to become a doctor, she could have a very successful career as a time management coach.

Even before her 2018 graduation from Pine View High School, Le was expertly juggling a schedule teeming with piano lessons and practices, four-year stints on St. George Youth City Council and the cheer squad, dance and gymnastics classes, and more—all while maintaining a 4.0 grade point average and earning a medical assistant’s certificate at Dixie Technical College.

Le just graduated from the University of Utah’s esteemed premed program, finishing up a degree in kinesiology (with the same GPA) in December. Now planning a “gap year,” Le aims to prep for the MCAT and tweak her already impressive resume before applying to medical schools. She will also continue in her role as director of the Salt Lake City branch of Camp Kesem, the nonprofit summer camp for children impacted by a parent’s cancer diagnosis. Additionally, Le will be on staff at the University of Utah Health’s Utah Center for Reproductive Medicine, where she assists women experiencing infertility.

To those who’ve known Le for any amount of time, it’s little surprise that she’s able to cram so much into so few hours. “Britney was the easiest, happiest baby; she was sleeping through the night by the time she was a week old,” said her mother, Kristen Phan, who, as owner of popular nail salon The Nail Lounge, knows a thing or two about maximizing one’s schedule. “She started speaking in full sentences at the age of one and a half, and she was in a national spelling bee in the second grade.”

Phan adds that her own background as one of the “boat people” who escaped communist rule in Vietnam in the early 1970s may well have had an impact on her daughter’s demeanor and ability to multitask. “Learning English was hard for my parents and me when we came here, so we always read, and we’d look at dictionaries to learn new words. Also, I never used ‘baby talk’ with my kids. Britney’s always thought very deeply; she’d blow my mind, speaking like an adult from such an early age.”

In the close-knit Phan-Le family, Britney was inevitably the first to administer love and Band-Aids when someone got cut or scraped a knee. That willingness to provide care eventually blossomed into a desire to go into the medical field. “Witnessing my mom taking my grandparents to doctors appointments and watching her serve as translator, mediator, and advocate for them really had an impact on me,” Le explained. “Since English wasn’t their first language, they were lucky to have mom there; that’s not the case for everyone. I hope to be able to provide healthcare resources in a more equitable manner for underrepresented or marginalized groups.”

While a senior at Pine View, Le also completed a year-long course in medical assisting at Dixie Tech, graduating from that program at the same time she received her high school diploma. Le then spent her post-graduation summer attired in scrubs, working urology and pediatrics at Intermountain St. George Regional Hospital. That experience sealed the deal: during her freshman year at the U, she applied for medical assisting jobs in the area; from her sophomore year through graduation, she “floated” through various hospitals, clinics, and departments despite carrying sixteen to twenty units per semester in premed studies and acing all classes and labs. It was as a member of the float pool that Le connected with the field that will be her focus in the future.

Said Le, “One of the specialties asked me if I wanted to work full time with them, so now I’m at the Center for Reproductive Medicine, helping patients get pregnant and then providing care throughout their pregnancies. I’m very interested in that, especially in labor and delivery; it’s very inspiring to me.”

As a senior, Le was also recruited to become director of the first-ever University of Utah chapter of Camp Kasem, which boasts 130 such campus sites nationwide. True to form, Le had spent her collegiate summers taking extra classes and serving as a counselor at the BYU/ UVU camps. When it came time to add the U’s new chapter, Le was the organization’s choice to assume the leadership role.

Though Le will transition her duties to new codirectors now that she’s a U grad, she intends to remain connected with the camp for as long as possible. “There are five million kids impacted by a parent’s cancer. It was a huge privilege to bring awareness to that population here in Salt Lake City. The camp aims to ease the kids’ minds with innovative, fun activities. It’s all free. They just come up and sing songs, eat s’mores, and do silly stuff; kids can just be kids,” Le said.

Le’s future success is all but assured, according to Della Lowe, who was the City of St. George’s advisor to Youth City Council when Le was a member. “Britney is a remarkable young woman with a driving spirit.” Lowe confirmed. “She is a natural leader who understands the role of a leader is to build others up. It was a pleasure to mentor her in the St George Youth City Council.”

Pausing for a few minutes after teaching weekend yoga classes at the Sandy Senior Center in Salt Lake, Le reflected on her goals— and the value of some quality shut-eye. “I love my naps; they keep me going!” she laughed. “It does get challenging with time management. But I really enjoy everything that I’m doing, so that’s helpful in keeping me engaged. I love the interaction with patients; it never seems like a ‘checklist’ to me.”

About the Author

Marianne L. Hamilton is a veteran journalist and marketing writer whose work appears in regional and national publications. When not race walking, hiking, or teaching water aerobics, she is the past Board Chair of Art Around the Corner and the Special Events Manager for DOCUTAH. She and her husband, Doug, are also co-administrators of the St. George Wine Club and race directors for the Huntsman World Senior Games and National Senior Games. Marianne was crowned Ms. Senior Universe 2021-2022 and is the Senior Pageants Group’s Senior Games Ambassador. She is a proud breast cancer survivor.