E25 student Riley Hayes follows his mother’s path to medicine while forging his own
Family, faculty, and friends gathered last month in Moscow to celebrate Idaho WWAMI’s entering class of 2025 as they received their white coats, an enduring symbol of compassion, trust, and service in medicine. For first-year Idaho WWAMI medical student Riley Hayes, the moment carried special significance.
“The white coat marked an important symbolic moment in my medical education,” Riley Hayes said. “It’s an honor to be a part of the community of physicians in Idaho, even as a trainee. It is my hope that I can help contribute to a greater sense of safety and wellness associated with the iconic white coat as I continue my medical career.”
Riley’s inspiration for medicine comes in large part from his mother, Dr. Cyndi Hayes, an Idaho WWAMI alum and OB hospitalist at St. Luke’s Regional Medical Center in Boise. A respected physician and long-time WWAMI preceptor, Dr. Hayes has devoted her career to both patients and the next generation of Idaho doctors.
“I look up to my mom, and I am very proud to be the son of someone who has done so much for WWAMI and for patients in Idaho,” Riley said.
Understanding that a career in medicine can be demanding and stressful, he initially pursued other career paths, including working as a social worker and therapist, and supporting patients with their mental health needs. It was an experience that deepened his interest in psychiatry.
“I loved being able to help patients longitudinally in outpatient settings with their mental health,” he said. “However, I concluded that many of my patients, present and future, would benefit from more care than any amount of talk-therapy alone could provide.”
He began shadowing psychiatric health providers and fell in love with the specialty.
“I’ve always loved learning and education, so I applied to a career that would let me do that forever,” he said.
Now studying at Idaho WWAMI’s Moscow Foundations site, Riley says psychiatry remains his main interest.
“Thus far, it has been fulfilling and intellectually stimulating in a way that nothing else has,” he said.”
As he embarks on his medical journey, Riley is proud to be part of the same program that helped shape his mother’s career and continues to inspire and strengthen the next generation of physicians serving Idaho communities.
