WWAMI Stories and Student Features

What if breast milk does more than just nourish a baby? What if it also helps to tell time, and improve an infant’s sleep and development, among other benefits? Last month in California, Idaho WWAMI student Hannah Hardin’s research stood out among other medical students from across the Western United States for her impressive findings. […]

With Match Day—the annual release of National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) results—on the horizon, fourth-year medical students Chey Malmin and Colton Brodock are charting their next steps together after years of shared training.  Having both grown up in Idaho—Chey in Boise and Colton in Emmett—their shared roots played a big role in choosing the Idaho […]

Dr. William H. “Bill” Foege, a 1961 graduate of the University of Washington School of Medicine MD Program and a global public health leader, helped change the course of history. Credited with pioneering the surveillance and ring vaccination strategy that led to the eradication of smallpox, Foege played a central role in ending transmission of […]

For fourth-year Montana WWAMI student Benjamin Nalls, Military Match Day marks more than the next step in training. It’s a continuation of a lifelong commitment to service. Nalls matched into general surgery at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, Washington, through the military match. Before medical school, Nalls served as a Marine, an experience that […]

Ten Alaska WWAMI students took the national stage Jan. 15–17, 2026 at the Western Medical Research Conference (WMRC)  in Carmel, California, sharing their research with peers and faculty from across the Western United States. WMRC is an annual conference that brings together medical students, residents, and faculty to present scholarly work, exchange ideas, and build […]

  From the operating room in Alaska’s Mat-Su Valley to the clinical training of medical students across the state, Iuliana Bobanga, MD, is helping guide the next generation of surgeons. A general and endocrine surgeon with Mat-Su Surgical Associates, Dr. Bobanga also serves as the Clerkship Director for the University of Washington School of Medicine’s […]

(*Draft – Pending Review*) Earlier this month, Alaska WWAMI first-year students stepped outside the classroom and into the Blood Bank of Alaska for a behind-the-scenes look at how transfusion medicine supports patients across the Last Frontier. Led by Dr. Megan Ritter, Chief Medical Director of the Blood Bank of Alaska, the tour brought course concepts […]

From rural clinics to cutting-edge clinical science, Idaho WWAMI medical students took center stage in November, showcasing research that’s shaping the future of patient care across the Northwest. The second-year Idaho WWAMI students gathered for the Research Symposium to present a wide range of projects reflecting both scientific rigor and a deep commitment to improving […]

Second-year Idaho WWAMI students reached a major milestone last month as they completed 18 months of foundational coursework and transitioned into the clinical phase of medical school. After passing a comprehensive final exam, they began hands-on patient care, putting their knowledge into practice in clinics and communities across the region. For many students, the shift […]

  Montana WWAMI is proud to spotlight two exceptional clinical educators who have gone above and beyond in teaching, mentoring, and community leadership. The 2025 WRITE (WWAMI Rural Integrated Training Experience) – Excellence in Teaching Awards honor preceptors whose dedication to medical student education and community engagement truly stands out. These awards are especially meaningful […]