WWAMI Stories and Student Features

For Dr. Kanan Silvas, medicine has always been about community. An Idaho WWAMI alumnus (E11) who grew up in North Idaho, Silvas is now an emergency medicine physician and internal hospitalist at Kootenai Health in Coeur d’Alene where he helps expand clinical training opportunities for students rotating through the emergency department. He also serves as […]

For decades, Idaho WWAMI Assistant Clinical Dean Dr. Mary Barinaga has helped shape the educational experience of Idaho WWAMI medical students. Now, her contributions are being honored with the University of Washington School of Medicine’s Family Medicine Outstanding Clerkship Award for 2024–2025. Dr. Barinaga has played a central role in Idaho WWAMI for years, helping […]

Creating a learning environment where students feel supported, valued, and confident has long been central to Dr. Travis Nielsen’s approach to teaching. That dedication was recently recognized with the Family Medicine Outstanding Clerkship Award for 2024–2025 from the University of Washington School of Medicine. “I have been working with medical students in my clinic for […]

Three Idaho physicians have earned 2026 WRITE Excellence in Teaching Awards for their dedication to teaching and mentoring future physicians through the WWAMI Rural Integrated Training Experience (WRITE) program. This year’s Idaho recipients are Dr. Michelle Eide of Ketchum, Dr. John Hatzenbuehler of Hailey, and Dr. Jessica Sollstrom of Nampa. Michelle Eide, MD – Ketchum […]

When Simrat Kaur attended the Annual American Burn Association Conference in Orlando this spring, she brought with her not only original research, but a deeply personal understanding of recovery after life-changing injury. Kaur, a medical student at the UW School of Medicine, is currently completing a research year with the Northwest Regional Burn Model System […]

On most mornings, Heather Pollard is awake before the rest of her household, studying in the quiet before the day begins. Soon after, she starts getting her three children ready for school in Anchorage, shifting between her roles as a third-year medical student and a mom. Pollard’s interest in medicine began early. “I was first […]

At the Brother Francis Shelter in Anchorage, a small group of volunteers gathers twice a month to provide a service that is often overlooked but essential to overall health. The Foot Care Clinic, supported by Alaska WWAMI students and other volunteers, offers basic foot care and brief exams to anyone who walks through the door. […]

For first-year medical students, the brain can feel like both a marvel and a mystery. In Alaska WWAMI’s Foundations block on Mind, Brain & Behavior (MBB), Dr. Catherine Kilby helps bring that complexity into focus, guiding students through the biological and psychological underpinnings of behavior while grounding each concept in patient experience. “Neurology and Psychiatry […]

In communities across Alaska, medical education often depends on physicians who are willing to teach, mentor, and model compassionate care in real-world settings. This year, one of those educators is being recognized for his impact. Dr. Don Schneider, a Juneau-based family medicine physician at Valley Medical Care, is the recipient of the WRITE Excellence in […]

When Dr. Bethaney Fehrenkamp talks about the immune system, her enthusiasm is immediate and unmistakable: “The immune system is everything, everywhere and plays a critical role in proper development,” she says. As a reproduction and developmental immunologist and Clinical Assistant Professor with Idaho WWAMI, Dr. Fehrenkamp has built her career around understanding how the earliest […]