On National Rural Health Day, we proudly celebrated Dr. Susan Gallo, a full-scope family medicine physician at Billings Clinic Miles City and a longtime Montana WWAMI preceptor. Dr. Gallo’s dedication strengthens rural care across the state while shaping the next generation of physicians.
Dr. Gallo practices everything family medicine has to offer: OB, C-sections, pediatrics, adult medicine, nursing home care, and even hospitalist work a few days a month.
For 20 years, she has welcomed WWAMI students into her practice, starting with RUOP and becoming a WRITE site for the past 15 years. She also precepts fourth-year clerkships.
“Working with students keeps me excited about medicine,” she says. “Serving as a preceptor and mentor has been incredibly rewarding. I love knowing I’m helping build the future rural workforce.”
One of her favorite teaching moments?
A student helped deliver a baby and ended up covered in delivery-room evidence. A nurse said she might need to throw away her shirt. Instead, the student grinned and said:
“Are you kidding? I’m going to frame this!”
Dr. Gallo believes rural rotations change students’ understanding of medicine:
“You wear a lot of hats. Your patients are also your neighbors, your friends, the people you see at the grocery store and at the football game,” she said.
A Montana ranch kid with a high school class of eight students, Dr. Gallo trained at Rocky Mountain College, University of North Dakota School of Medicine, and the Montana Family Medicine Residency. She later served 10 years as department chair and has been WRITE site coordinator for 15 years.
Her dedication has earned widespread recognition, including several awards:
- 2025 Montana Family Physician of the Year
- 2023 Rural Clinician Leadership Award (MT AHEC)
- 2022 WRITE Excellence in Teaching Award
Outside the clinic, Dr. Gallo enjoys reading, cooking, horseback riding, downhill skiing, traveling with her husband, and cheering on her two adult children.
Thank you, Dr. Gallo, for your leadership, mentorship, and exceptional commitment to rural Montana.
