Across Montana’s rural and tribal communities, HOPA Mountain works at the intersection of education, ecological health and economic development, supporting long-term wellbeing through community partnerships. Within that broader mission, the HOPA Mountain Medical Mentorship Service Learning Project at Montana WWAMI focuses on strengthening pathways into medicine. The program connects aspiring medical school applicants with current medical students through structured mentorship relationships that extend across the state.
Brynne Miller, a Montana WWAMI MS2 and HOPA Mountain Medical Mentorship co-lead, describes the program as centering on “fostering an environment of mentorship between medical students and pre-med students from Montana,” with an emphasis on continuity rather than one-time advising. Monthly meetings introduce key topics in medical school preparation, while paired mentors maintain ongoing communication with mentees to provide individualized support throughout their journey.
Miller highlights the reciprocal value of the program, noting, “It feels like medical students often feel they are in a place where they are not currently able to be helpful, as they haven’t made it through medical training yet. However, we are in a prime place to help those earlier in the path than us, with fresh understandings of the process, and insights into current medical school environment.” The structure allows medical students to contribute meaningfully while still in training, while ensuring pre-med students receive timely, relatable guidance.
The impact of the program is reflected in both measurable outcomes and personal transformation. Participants frequently report increased confidence, clearer understanding of the medical school pathway, and stronger preparedness for applications and interviews. Several mentees have gone on to matriculate into medical school, including within the WWAMI program—demonstrating the program’s role in strengthening the regional pipeline into medicine.
For first-year medical student and program co-lead Geri Cutler, the mission is deeply personal. “I certainly feel like as a first generation college student I had a lack of mentorship and guidance on the whole medical school application process, from MCAT to interviewing and everything in between. I could have benefited from a program like this,” she shared. “So being involved as a mentor now allows me to feel like I am making a difference for future medical students who may be in a similar situation.”
Fellow co-lead Riley Bird, also an MS1, brings a full-circle perspective shaped by her long involvement with HOPA Mountain, beginning in the Indigenous Scholars of Promise program, continuing as a mentee, and now serving as both mentor and leader.
“HOPA has been instrumental in supporting my educational journey and has continuously created a space in which my cultural identity and background have been supported and encouraged,” she said. “This program created a space in which I could imagine pursuing a career as a physician, which is a field I had not considered before.” Reflecting on her current role, she added, “I am overjoyed to have this full-circle moment in which I can serve the program now as a medical student and give the same support back to those also interested in this field.”
The Medical Mentorship Service Learning Project extends HOPA Mountain’s broader mission into lived experience—building pathways, expanding access and ensuring that students from rural and tribal communities can envision, prepare for and ultimately enter careers in medicine.