WWAMI Stories and Student Features

Zhaoyi “Joey” Wang, a rising fourth-year medical student in Spokane, has been awarded the 2025 College of American Pathologists (CAP) Distinguished Medical Student Award—a national honor given to just one student per medical school who demonstrates exceptional interest, aptitude, and involvement in pathology. “From exploring recreational genetic testing in high school, to shadowing pathologists during […]

Alaska WWAMI students are reaping the rewards from the Targeted Rural Underserved Track (TRUST). TRUST helps students get hands-on insight into the benefits and challenges of rural practice throughout medical school while building lasting connections in underserved communities. First-year Alaska WWAMI students Mauri Butzke, Yi Chan and Abigail Moffett recently completed their initial TRUST experiences […]

On June 17, 2025, Idaho WWAMI second-year student Halle Torgerson took the stage at the Governor’s Cup Scholarship Banquet in Boise, sharing her journey from scholarship recipient to future physician. The event brought together state leaders and current scholars. Torgerson received the Governor’s Cup Scholarship as a high school senior after demonstrating a strong commitment […]

New Idaho WWAMI graduate Caleb Allred delivered a powerful and emotional address to classmates during the Transition to Residency Plenary Session in late May.  He called on his classmates to embrace compassion, humanity, and intentionality as they step into residency. Caleb shared two deeply personal experiences that shaped him as a new physician and as […]

“I realized that as a pre-med student myself, there were lots of questions about preparing for medical school that I couldn’t answer,” says Zoe Thomas, a third-year undergraduate studying neuroscience and bioethics at the University of Washington. “Given how much I learned from others, I wanted to create a space where students could connect directly […]

Montana WWAMI was in the spotlight at the annual Rural Medical Educators Conference in Atlanta, Georgia May 20-23, 2025. Montana WWAMI Assistant Clinical Dean Jay S. Erickson, M.D., and third-year medical student Chelsea Koessel, provided presentations on integrating advocacy into the TRUST (Targeted Rural Underserved Track) curriculum. “Advocacy and community engagement are key to successful […]

On May 22, 2025, Montana WWAMI fourth-year medical student Darcie Caldwell delivered a powerful, personal reflection while representing her class during the University of Washington School of Medicine’s Transition to Residency plenary session. Her speech highlighted the emotional depth of medical training, and the bonds forged within the WWAMI program. In her speech, Caldwell likened […]

Growing up in Anchorage, Alaska WWAMI student Martin Juarez-Alvarado saw firsthand how the cost of care can prevent families from getting the medical attention they need. “Even when care was sought, treatment often had to be delayed or abandoned entirely because they couldn’t afford to pay for services,” he said. Those early experiences sparked a […]

In November, we will be honoring the retirement of our long-serving Montana WWAMI TRUST* Director, Lisa Benzel, after years of dedicated service. Lisa was hired for this newly created position in November 2013 and is responsible for growing and shaping TRUST into what it is today. As director and the face of TRUST for Montana, […]

In the quiet moments between exams and evening routines, Alaska WWAMI student Manuel De La Garza is embracing what it means to be both a future surgeon and a present, devoted father.  Originally from Denton, Texas, and now living in Anchorage, Alaska, he’s navigating the intense demands of medical school while raising a young family—a […]