Early exposure to rural clinical practices in hospital and outpatient settings plays a vital role in preparing students for comprehensive medical care. Thirteen Montana WWAMI Rural Integrated Training Experience (WRITE) students are receiving these transformative experiences as they serve rural communities throughout Big Sky Country. These opportunities are the cornerstone of their medical training, potentially creating a committed Montana rural physician workforce. WRITE occurs during the Patient Care Phase (clinical training during the third year of medical school) when students head to their TRUST sites for 5 – 6 months.
Lauren Lebar, originally from Wibaux (population 462), is familiar with the critical needs rural communities face.
“Growing up in a small town with limited access to medical care was my first exposure to the realities of health care disparities,” said Lebar. “It sparked my desire to make a difference in underserved communities.”
Now living in Billings, Lebar is working in Hardin.
“The small-town atmosphere in Hardin is incredibly special,” she said. “People genuinely look out for each other, and that sense of trust and connection carries into every part of life.”
Students apply to Montana WWAMI’s Targeted Rural Underserved Track (TRUST) before entering medical school. Once accepted, they are paired with a specific Montana community and a rural physician who serves as their mentor.
WRITE student Mckay Guckenberg of Eureka, has joined the Anaconda community, and she’s enjoying it immensely.
“It is amazing how supportive, kind and welcoming everyone has been, both within the community and in the hospital,” she said.
WRITE provides rural clinical immersion in areas such as family medicine, pediatrics, OB/GYN, surgery and internal medicine.
“I truly feel like the patients here are rooting for me and doing everything they can to help enhance my learning,” Guckenberg said.
The continuity from TRUST and the deep immersion in WRITE builds personal and professional loyalty to the community. The two programs form a pipeline that builds strong Montana-based physician identity, making it much more likely graduates will choose to return as practicing physicians.
“The sense of acceptance and inclusion from the community has been humbling,” Lebar added. “It reinforces why I want to continue to work in rural communities.”
| WRITE Students: | Community: |
| Lauren LaBar | Hardin |
| Mckay Guckenberg | Anaconda |
| Courtney Hallock | Glasgow |
| Annalisa Hawk | Ronan/Polson |
| Ty Running Fisher | Ronan/Polson |
| Chelsea Koessel | Butte |
| Chelsey Ponsness | Dillon |
| Lars Ponsness | Dillon |
| Olivia Reid | Miles City |
| Alex Wickens | Miles City |
| Allie Stevens | Lewistown |
| Kaitlyn Weinheimer | Lewistown |
| Brittney Tierney | Hamilton |
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