For Dr. Megan Marstaeller (E19), returning home to Montana isn’t just the next step in her career. It’s the fulfillment of a goal that first took shape during her medical school training.
After completing her pediatric residency this summer through the Pediatric Residency of Idaho (PRI), Dr. Marstaeller returned to Montana to begin practicing at Bitterroot Health in Hamilton as the community’s first dedicated pediatrician.
“It’s incredibly exciting to be able to provide a new expertise to the valley,” Dr. Marstaeller said. “I’m hopeful that I’ll be able to have a lasting positive impact on families and kids as they grow.”
Dr. Marstaeller, a Kalispell native who graduated from Montana WWAMI in 2023, was part of the inaugural class of the Pediatric Residency of Idaho, the state’s first pediatric residency program. Before PRI launched, there were no pediatric residency programs between Utah and Oregon or Washington.
“It was really great to be a part of starting a new program and helping build such a great opportunity for future residents,” she said.
Her passion for rural medicine, however, began years earlier during Montana WWAMI.
A Rural Underserved Opportunities Program (RUOP) rotation in Red Lodge with Dr. Brad Fouts became a defining experience. Watching him practice full-scope family medicine while serving as a trusted physician, mentor and community member transformed her view of what rural healthcare could be.
“Seeing how he interacted with the community, his patients and his friends highly influenced my perspective of rural medicine,” Dr. Marstaeller said. “He not only taught me medicine but gave me lots of great life advice. In fact, I wrote about that experience in my residency personal statement because it had such a lasting impact.”
She credits RUOP with shaping the rest of her medical journey, followed by a family medicine clerkship in her hometown of Whitefish, where additional physician mentors reinforced her desire to return to a close-knit Montana community.
During residency, Dr. Marstaeller continued pursuing rural training through rotations in Moscow, Idaho, with pediatrician Dr. Summer Day, whose example of practicing full-scope pediatrics helped solidify her career path.
“In rural communities, there are situations where you are it, and your impact makes a difference for these kids,” she said.
As Hamilton’s first dedicated pediatrician, Marstaeller hopes to expand access to pediatric services, from routine care to newborn resuscitation and treatment for acute illnesses.
“I would love to provide resources around preventive care and healthy habits to help kids become the best versions of themselves as they head into adulthood,” she said.
Looking ahead, she’s eager to give back to the program that helped launch her career by mentoring future Montana WWAMI students through RUOP.
“RUOP shaped my future career and perspective on rural medicine early in my training,” she said. “I had great mentors who were so helpful, patient and kind, and it really made a difference. I hope to provide that same experience for future doctors in Montana and throughout the WWAMI region.”
For Dr. Marstaeller, returning home allows her to strengthen rural healthcare, care for Montana’s children and inspire the next generation of physicians to do the same.