WWAMI Stories and Student Features

Trading classrooms for the Idaho outdoors, Alaska WWAMI students Abigail Crawford and Mariah Johnson joined peers from across the region in Coeur d’Alene for an unforgettable weekend of leadership, advocacy, and hands-on training. The annual TRUST (Targeted Rural Underserved Track) Leadership Retreat held August 20–22, 2025, at Camp Lutherhaven, challenged scholars to think on their […]

A familiar face has stepped into a new role at Idaho WWAMI. Rayme Geidl, MD, a longtime educator, practicing physician, and proud Idahoan, has been named Interim Regional Dean for the Idaho WWAMI Medical Education Program. Dr. Geidl’s journey is deeply rooted in Idaho. Raised in Troy and a graduate of the University of Idaho, […]

Idaho WWAMI is thrilled to recognize Dr. Suzanna Hubele as a 2025 recipient of the Idaho WWAMI Alumni Award for Excellence in Mentoring, Teaching, Leadership and Patient Care. A University of Idaho graduate and devoted rural physician, Dr. Hubele received the award at Two Rivers Medical Clinic in Weiser on July 31,2025, where Dr. Mary Barinaga, […]

Second-year WWAMI TRUST (Targeted Rural Underserved Track) Scholars from across the WWAMI region spent three days sharpening their leadership and advocacy skills at the annual TRUST Leadership Retreat, held August 20–22, 2025, at Camp Lutherhaven in Coeur d’Alene. A fun, interactive experience for many participants was the Wilderness Medicine session led by Dr. Frank Batcha, […]

Idaho WWAMI is proud to celebrate Dr. Zachary Havlovick, who has been selected as one of six residents in the inaugural class of the Mountain States Institute (MSI) Family Medicine Residency Program based in Nampa. “I matched to one of my top programs and was thrilled,” Dr. Havlovick said. “I never really paid any mind […]

Dr. Maureen “Mo” Ferguson isn’t just shaping the future of rural medicine; she’s living it. As the new University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM) TRUST Director and longtime McCall TRUST Site Director, Dr. Ferguson brings passion, experience, and a deep commitment to mentoring the next generation of physicians. With nine years of experience guiding […]

When seconds matter, knowing how to control life-threatening bleeding can mean the difference between life and death. Wyoming WWAMI students Aedian O’Connor from Laramie and Jack Syring from Sheridan, both in their second year of medical school, are equipping communities across Wyoming—and even abroad— with those skills through Stop the Bleed (STB), a national training […]

This summer, Montana’s Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) hosted MedStart Camps across the state, giving high school students an inside look at healthcare careers. Designed for rural, low-income, and first-generation college students, the week-long camps combine hands-on learning, career exploration, and college-life experiences, while awarding one transferable college credit through Montana Tech. Camps were offered […]

From bustling hospitals in Manila to rural outreach centers in Nepal, two Montana WWAMI students discovered how health care challenges around the world can shape the way they practice medicine at home. The University of Washington School of Medicine’s Global Health Pathway gives WWAMI students the chance to explore health care delivery across borders, while […]

Growing up in Livingston, Kara Francis, MD, knew that when she became a physician, she wanted to do more than care for patients — she wanted to teach. After earning her bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in chemistry from the University of Oregon in 2015, she went on to graduate from the University […]