Dr. Daniela Solzbacher came to Utah to practice Buddhism and ended up investing in a new medical specialty.
A German citizen, she became an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgeon in her home country. She practiced as an ENT surgeon, before Zen practice brought her to Utah, where she found a calling fulfilling an important medical need.
“I got involved in Zen Buddhism and at one point decided to take a sabbatical to focus on my Zen practice which brought me to the US, and Utah in particular,” says Dr. Solzbacher, medical director of the Treatment Resistant Mood Disorders Clinic at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute. “During my time in Utah, I learned that there was a large need for psychiatrists in the state, and psychiatry was a medical field that had always interested me.”
With her interest in mental health, Solzbacher decided to stay in Utah and make the transition from surgery to psychiatry. In 2012, she entered the J-1 visa program and joined the University of Utah’s health workforce.
“The University of Utah offers a highly supportive work environment and attracts physicians and researchers from all over the world,” says Dr. Solzbacher.
Dr. Solzbacher has served as the Medical Director of the Treatment Resistant Mood Disorders clinic at the Huntsman Mental Health Institute since 2018. Her work focuses on treating patients with severe mood disorders through specialized treatments. In her time as medical director, she has helped the clinic to expand which allows it to better meet the needs of the population in Utah and surrounding states.
The Office of Primary Care and Rural Health administers Utah’s J-1 visa waiver program. A J-1 visa is a temporary visitor visa, allowing foreign medical graduates to participate in graduate medical education programs in the United States. After international medical graduates finish their residency or medical schooling, they are required to live in their country of origin for at least 2 years before returning to practice in the U.S. The J-1 visa program allows states to waive the 2-year requirement to return to their country of origin, in exchange for 3 years of service to underserved patients. Read more success stories like this one at J-1 visa program supports pediatric pulmonologist.