KETCHUM, Idaho — A unique program in Ketchum is offering hands-on training for medical students, aiming to address the ongoing need for healthcare providers in rural Idaho communities.
Shawn Justesen, a graduate of Rigby High School, initially planned to pursue a communications degree before discovering his passion for medicine during his travels abroad.
"I had this feeling like I really wanted to like help these people, but I feel like I didn't necessarily have a skill set at the time," Justesen said.
Watch how the WWAMI program is training the next generation of rural physicians in Idaho:
For the past two weeks, Justesen has been training with St. Luke's of the Wood River Valley through the WWAMI program, a medical education cooperative between Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho, which focuses on providing experience in rural and underserved parts of the Mountain West and Pacific Northwest.
"The whole goal is to get them exposure and training and hopefully encourage them to come back to Idaho," Dr. John Hatzenbuehler said.
Hatzenbuehler serves as the site supervisor for WWAMI students training at the hospital. As a former WWAMI student himself, he believes the program has a proven track record of delivering quality education to Idaho students and guiding them toward careers in their home state.
Each summer, the Rural/Underserved Opportunities Program (RUOP) places first-year medical students into primary care clinics in underserved communities across Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho for four-week immersion experiences.
This summer, 21 students are participating in RUOP rotations across 17 Idaho communities. Research suggests programs like RUOP influence students toward careers in primary care, which is crucial for addressing physician shortages in rural areas.
"I think it's an excellent opportunity to have Idaho born and raised people to come back as physicians in Idaho because they understand it," Hatzenbuehler said. "They know what it's like to live in Idaho. They know what it's like to take care of the people from Idaho so I think it's been a very successful program so I'm very invested in this Idaho WWAMI program."
Currently, Justesen is focused on mastering the fundamentals of being a primary care provider.
"I really enjoy feeling like we can you know make a difference in anyone's life," Justesen said.
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