WWAMI Stories and Student Features

Read featured stories about UW School of Medicine students, staff and faculty from across Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho (WWAMI).

Montana WWAMI Students Gain Global Health Perspective through Mongolia Exchange

Montana WWAMI students Nick Roman and Rebecca Boylan traveled more than 6,000 miles this summer to join an international medical team in rural Mongolia for what became a transformative experience. Through the Mongolia Exchange Program with BioRegions International (BRI), they worked alongside Mongolian providers in clinics, schools, and villages, an experience that reshaped their perspectives […]

Alaska WWAMI students Will Simard and Kyle Stone posing together at the Brother Francis Shelter

Alaska WWAMI’s Brother Francis Footcare Project Inspires Connection Through Care

Alaska WWAMI Student Discusses the Brother Francis Footcare Clinic In Anchorage, Alaska, the Brother Francis Shelter transforms from a place of rest into a space for connection, compassion, and healing as Alaska WWAMI students and community volunteers welcome guests to the Brother Francis Footcare Clinic. The clinic offers free foot care to community members, including […]

Alaska WWAMI White Coat Ceremony: A Celebration of Purpose and Community

Alaska’s next generation of physicians recently took an important step on their medical journeys. On September 12, 2025, Alaska WWAMI celebrated its annual White Coat Ceremony, honoring first-year medical students as they officially enter the medical profession. Family, friends, faculty, and mentors gathered to recognize the hard work and commitment that led each student to […]

Alaska WWAMI Preceptor Spotlight: Giving Back Comes Full Circle

Dr. Kimiko “Koko” Bravo Returns to Juneau as a Psychiatrist and WWAMI Preceptor For Dr. Kimiko “Koko” Bravo, coming home to Juneau, Alaska, isn’t just about practicing medicine — it’s about giving back to the community that shaped her. A proud Alaska WWAMI graduate, Dr. Bravo has returned to her hometown as a psychiatrist with […]

Building Alaska’s Psychiatry Workforce through WWAMI

Dr. Alexander von Hafften Champions Education and Training across Alaska Alaska’s mental health challenges are among the most pressing in the nation — and so is the shortage of psychiatrists to address them. Through education and training, Alaska WWAMI is working to strengthen the state’s psychiatric workforce and expand access to care. “Alaska’s need for […]

Advancing Breast Cancer Research and Inspiring Alaska’s Future Physicians

Every October, Breast Cancer Awareness Month serves as a reminder of the progress made and the work still ahead in the fight against one of the world’s most common cancers. In Alaska, two University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) researchers and WWAMI faculty members, Doctors Max Kullberg and Holly Martinson, are leading that fight through cutting-edge […]

Idaho WWAMI Preceptor Spotlight: Dr. Sheev Dattani

Guiding the Next Generation of Surgeons in Idaho At Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, Idaho, Dr. Sheev Dattani combines surgical precision with a genuine passion for mentorship. A board-certified minimally invasive and robotic colorectal surgeon, he leads one of the region’s highest-volume robotic surgery programs and serves as site director for surgical education. […]

Idaho WWAMI White Coat Ceremony: A Family Tradition Continues

Medical student Riley Hayes follows his mother’s path to medicine  Family, faculty, and friends gathered last month in Moscow, Idaho, to celebrate Idaho WWAMI’s entering class of 2025 as they received their white coats, an enduring symbol of compassion, trust, and service in medicine. For first-year Idaho WWAMI medical student Riley Hayes, the moment carried […]

Idaho WWAMI Alum Dr. Casey Glenn Returns Home to Serve Northern Idaho

When Dr. Casey Glenn set out to become a physician, his goal was always to return to Idaho. Now, as an emergency medicine physician at Kootenai Health in Coeur d’Alene, he’s doing exactly that, caring for the communities that helped shape him. “While completing my medical education, it became increasingly apparent to me that Idaho […]

Idaho WWAMI’s Critical Care Boot Camp Prepares Students for Lifesaving Work

Last month, ten Idaho WWAMI students stepped into simulated high-stakes medical scenarios that tested their skills, sharpened their instincts, and readied them for the challenging realities of residency. Open to all fourth-year students training in Boise, the sessions offer a concentrated, real-world experience in lifesaving care through Idaho WWAMI’s Critical Care Cardiac Boot Camp. Students […]