For Landon Butler, the journey to medicine has included soccer fields, construction sites and a few unexpected turns—but his RUOP rotation brought him exactly where he wanted to be: learning medicine in a rural Idaho community.
An Idaho WWAMI student, Landon completed his four-week Rural Underserved Opportunities Program (RUOP) rotation at St. Mary’s Health in Cottonwood from June 29 to July 24, 2026 under the mentorship of preceptor Nicholas Henrie, MD. The elective gives rising second-year students an opportunity to immerse themselves in community medicine while learning firsthand about the unique challenges and rewards of practicing in rural and underserved communities.
Originally from Spokane, Landon moved to Nampa to study biology with a pre-med focus at Northwest Nazarene University, where he also played four years of collegiate soccer. After graduation, he traded his cleats for a tool belt, framing houses before becoming a medical scribe. That experience confirmed that medicine was the path he wanted to pursue.
Landon entered RUOP with a clear goal: to maximize his hands-on experience and learn from providers who go the extra mile for their patients. His time in Cottonwood gave him the opportunity to see rural medicine up close and gain a deeper appreciation for the relationships that make community health care unique.
Outside the clinic, Landon and his wife—married for just under a year—enjoy traveling, exploring the outdoors and finding great restaurants. He’s also an avid cyclist, with an indoor bike trainer tucked into the laundry room. And, thanks to his wife, he’s recently added skiing to his list of outdoor pursuits.