Before joining their classmates at the Physician’s Oath & Hooding Ceremony, Montana WWAMI graduates Verena Lawrence, Jamie Ritter and TRUST scholar Jesi Kennedy (Assiniboine descent) took part in a Traditional Blanket Ceremony recognizing their completion of the Indian Health Pathway.
Held on the morning of graduation, the ceremony honors students’ commitment to improving health care for American Indian and Alaska Native communities. This year’s ceremony was especially meaningful, with 10 Indigenous students participating as the largest group of Indigenous graduates in in UWSOM history, according to the Center for Indigenous Health. During the ceremony, each graduate was presented with a blanket, symbolizing respect, protection, achievement and the support of community as they begin their careers as physicians.
For Ritter, the ceremony represented an important milestone in her journey to medicine.
“It is a celebration of part of my ‘Why Medicine,’ a reminder to embrace culture, tradition, and human connection,” she said.
Ritter was drawn to the Indian Health Pathway through “a deep admiration for Native culture and their practice of not separating physical and mental health.” The pathway provides students opportunities to deepen their understanding of Indigenous health, culture and health systems while preparing them to serve Tribal communities through culturally responsive care.
As she begins an emergency medicine residency at Central Michigan University, Ritter said the lessons she learned through the pathway will continue to shape her approach to patient care.
“I will always strive to practice patient centered care that incorporates cultural traditions and beliefs,” she said.
Looking ahead, Ritter hopes to return to Montana to practice medicine in a rural or underserved community. She is considering communities in southwest Montana, including Butte, Anaconda, Ennis and Sheridan, as well as Browning.
For Lawrence, Ritter and Kennedy, the Traditional Blanket Ceremony marked both a personal achievement and a commitment to advancing health equity and serving communities across the region.
