For Idaho WWAMI alumna Taylor Simmons, MD, training close to home helped launch a career dedicated to rural family medicine and serving Idaho communities. From the beginning, she knew Idaho WWAMI was where she hoped to train.
“I remember feeling incredibly excited and hopeful interviewing, as Idaho WWAMI was by far my first choice for medical school,” she said. “I had always been interested in full spectrum rural family medicine, and the mission of UWSOM (the University of Washington School of Medicine) aligned with everything I wanted in my training.”
The WWAMI model offered a path that combined local training with the strength of a major academic medical center.
“It was such a unique model – to get to learn in my home state but have access to the resources of a large academic medical school,” she said.
Like many medical students, Dr. Simmons (E2016) spent her first year refining study habits and finding the approaches that worked best for her. Just as important was the community she built with classmates.
“Surrounding myself with fellow medical students who were uplifting, supportive, and really cared about each other’s success was integral to survival of the ‘book years’ of medical school,” she said.
Her career path was heavily shaped by Idaho WWAMI. Early clinical experiences also helped shape her professional focus.
“I completed my RUOP training (Rural Underserved Opportunities Program) in Cottonwood, Idaho, and saw firsthand the integral role family medicine plays in improving access and providing comprehensive care in underserved areas in my home state,” she said.
After medical school, Dr. Simmons completed a WWAMI-affiliated family medicine residency in Kalispell, Montana. She later returned
to Idaho for additional training, completing a high-risk and surgical obstetrical fellowship at Full Circle Health to provide comprehensive reproductive and obstetrical care.
Currently, Simmons practices family medicine in McCall, Idaho, where she works alongside other WWAMI-trained physicians and helps teach UWSOM students. She is affiliated with St. Luke’s McCall Hospital.
Reflecting on her journey, Simmons says the program continues to produce physicians who are highly equipped to serve their communities.
“I am proud that WWAMI consistently trains physicians who are well-respected and well- prepared for their future careers,” she said.
Outside of medicine, Simmons enjoys spending time outdoors, being with friends and family, and snuggling with her miniature dachshund.