For more than a decade, Montana WWAMI has offered first-year medical students a unique way to explore the breadth of internal medicine, helping to shape future career choices. Each spring, students gather in Bozeman for an evening of informal conversations with physicians representing a wide range of subspecialties presented in a speed-dating format.
Organized by Dr. Pamela Hiebert with support from student co-leads from the Internal Medicine Interest Group, the event brings together clinicians from across the field, including cardiology, oncology, pulmonology and infectious diseases.
“The students appreciate being able to talk to specialists about their work and life,” Internal Medicine Physician Dr. Pamela Hiebert said. “I think it is important for students to have exposure to career options early on.”
“Internal Medicine is such a broad field with a wide range of subspecialties, which can be both exciting and overwhelming as a student,” Montana WWAMI first-year student and co-lead Anna Kreisberg said. 
The recent event, held in Bozeman at the end of March, drew more than 20 students.
“I wanted to showcase how diverse internal medicine really is — most students don’t appreciate that early on,” said Luke Thomson, first-year Montana WWAMI student and group co-lead. “It gave me quick, honest insight into subspecialties I hadn’t seriously considered.”
Designed to maximize exposure, students rotate through ten-minute, one-on-one discussions with each physician, then move on to the next station.
The event’s format creates an approachable and efficient experience, offering what Thomson describes as “low-pressure, high-yield exposure you can’t easily get elsewhere.”
“Internal medicine rewards curiosity more than almost any other field, and events like this help students find that out early,” he said.
“I received feedback from some of my peers who found it both fun and helpful in the stress of navigating what specialty they are interested in,” Kreisberg added.
By pairing students with physicians across disciplines, Montana WWAMI continues to create meaningful opportunities for connection, mentorship, and discovery early in their medical training.