Montana WWAMI Celebrates the Graduating Class of 2026

Last month, we celebrated a remarkable achievement as 29 Montana WWAMI students crossed the stage at Benaroya Hall in Seattle, officially earning their Doctor of Medicine degrees. Among the graduates were eight Montana WWAMI TRUST scholars, whose medical education included an extended focus on serving rural and underserved communities throughout the state. On May 22, […]

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Montana WWAMI Graduates Celebrated in Traditional Blanket Ceremony

  Before joining their classmates at the Physician’s Oath & Hooding Ceremony, Montana WWAMI graduates Verena Lawrence, Jamie Ritter and TRUST scholar Jesi Kennedy (Assiniboine descent) took part in a Traditional Blanket Ceremony recognizing their completion of the Indian Health Pathway. Held on the morning of graduation, the ceremony honors students’ commitment to improving health […]

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Montana Physicians Recognized for WRITE Excellence in Teaching and Mentorship Awards

Four Montana physicians have been honored with WRITE Excellence in Teaching Awards, recognizing their outstanding commitment to mentoring medical students and helping shape the next generation of rural physicians. The annual awards are based on nominations from students participating in the WRITE (WWAMI Rural Integrated Training Experience) program, a longitudinal rural clerkship that places University […]

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From Montana to Scotland: Rural Workforce Lessons Take the Global Stage

When medical educators from across the United Kingdom gathered in Dundee, Scotland, for the UK Longitudinal Integrated Clerkships (UKLIC) Conference in April, Montana WWAMI’s approach to building a rural physician workforce was part of the global conversation. Jay Erickson, MD, Montana WWAMI Assistant Clinical Dean delivered the conference keynote presentation, “Reflections on Creating a Physician […]

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Advocating Beyond the Classroom: Montana WWAMI Voices Help Inform Kratom Policy Discussion

As Montana lawmakers continue studying possible restrictions on kratom ahead of the 2027 legislative session, Montana WWAMI faculty member Dr. Madeline Turner recently shared a physician’s perspective with a legislative committee helping shape future policy discussions. E25 Montana WWAMI student Mackenzie Bernhardt assisted Turner in preparing key points for the hearing. Dr. Turner, lead WWAMI […]

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Montana WWAMI TRUST Scholar Megan Ogle Shares Kratom Research at Statewide Conference

When attendees gathered in Butte for the Montana Addiction Medicine & Pain Conference, Montana WWAMI student Megan Ogle shared her comprehensive research on kratom, a plant-derived substance that has gained attention for its use in pain management and opioid withdrawal. A third-year medical student and Miles City TRUST Scholar, Ogle explored the complex questions surrounding […]

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Montana WWAMI Ethnobotany Field Day Connects Students with the Planet and Each Other

For Montana WWAMI students, one of the most memorable classroom experiences takes place far from lecture halls and laboratories. Each year, Dr. Colette Kirchhoff welcomes students to Pony Creek Homestead for an Ethnobotany Field Day, an immersive experience that explores the connections between plants, health and the environment.  “Plants regenerate our soils, provide oxygen and […]

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The Art and Science of Arctic Medicine

What does it take to practice medicine where temperatures drop below minus 40 degrees during the winter, medevac flights are delayed by weather, and patients may travel by canoe to reach care? Those questions were at the heart of “The Art and Science of Arctic Medicine,” a recent CLIME Conversation Café and CLIMEcast Live Zoom […]

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Spotlight on Dr. Tim Hinterberger: Exploring the Mysteries of the Mind

For Dr. Tim Hinterberger, teaching first-year medical students about the brain means embracing both science and mystery. As a faculty member in Alaska WWAMI’s Foundations block: Mind, Brain & Behavior (MBB), Hinterberger introduces students to one of medicine’s most complex frontiers: the human brain and consciousness itself. “For thirty years I’ve told students on the […]

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