Read feature stories about students, staff and faculty from across the WWAMI region.
Medical school demands focus, resilience, and long hours. For Lars and Chelsey Ponsness, it also means navigating that challenge together within Montana WWAMI. Their relationship has grown alongside their training, shaped as much by shared study sessions and clinical rotations as by the intentional time they protect outside of medicine. After long days in clinic, […]
For first-year Montana WWAMI students Joe Wadhams and Tatjana Groenewald, leading the Neighborhood Health Initiative (NHI) medical clinics at the Bozeman Homeward Point Shelter is more than a leadership role. It is a meaningful way to care for neighbors experiencing homelessness while growing into the physicians they hope to become. The Montana WWAMI Neighborhood Health […]
Every year, the National Rural Health Policy Institute hosts physicians, nurses, medical and nursing students, hospital administrators and rural health policy experts to gather at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. to explore and contribute to the key policy issues affecting rural health in the nation. This year, Montana WWAMI Assistant Clinical Dean/Physician Educator Dr. Jay […]
On February 17, Idaho WWAMI student Camille Massaad joined fellow student Megan Wong and Idaho WWAMI Assistant Clinical Dean Frank Batcha at the Idaho State Capitol to celebrate WWAMI Idaho Day. Governor Brad Little signed a proclamation recognizing 54 years of public medical education in Idaho, made possible through the partnership between the University of […]
Long before he ever set foot in Alaska, Dr. Kosta Turchaninov was captivated by stories of the North. As a child, he devoured the adventure novels of Jack London, a fascination that quietly planted the seed for a future in the far north. Dr. Turchaninov began his medical journey in Kazan, Russia, where he completed […]
Against the backdrop of snow-covered peaks in Girdwood, Alaska WWAMI faculty gathered with a shared purpose: strengthening how they teach, assess, and mentor the next generation of physicians. The Alaska WWAMI Educator Development Conference (February 6, 2026) focused on practical strategies educators can apply immediately in clinical settings, with sessions on writing effective letters […]
At the Alaska WWAMI site in Anchorage, a student-led initiative is bringing the power of music into clinical spaces. Music in Medicine, a service-learning group founded by second-year medical students Will Simard and Alyssa Mandich and now co-led with first-year student Yi Chan, aims to create moments of comfort and connection for patients, families and […]
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, but many of its most significant risk factors are within our control. For Idaho WWAMI alum and interventional cardiologist Dr. Kendra Coonse, heart health starts with everyday habits. At the core of prevention, she emphasizes lifestyle choices and routine monitoring. “Following a heart-healthy […]
For Dr. Lance Hansen, medicine has always been about relationships: finding meaning in caring for patients throughout every phase of their lives and building trust that lasts. A proud Idaho WWAMI alum, Dr. Hansen has spent his career practicing and teaching full-spectrum family medicine in rural Idaho, helping ensure that communities like Preston continue […]
Friends, family, volunteers, and community partners gathered recently to celebrate a remarkable milestone: the 100th birthday of Marie Blanchard, the visionary founder of The Marie Blanchard Friendship Clinic in Boise, Idaho. Among the attendees on December 19, 2025, was Mary Barinaga, Assistant Clinical Dean for Idaho WWAMI, underscoring the deep connection between the clinic […]
