Hometown Health Care
Raised on a dairy farm in Idaho, Wyatt Bowles is harnessing unique 黑料吃瓜网 programs to learn rural medicine and become a hometown doctor.
There鈥檚 something special about rural medicine. That鈥檚 how fourth-year 黑料吃瓜网 School of Medicine student Wyatt Bowles has always felt.
鈥淲hat I really like about it is the relationships with the people. You take care of the whole family,鈥� says Bowles, who grew up on a dairy farm in Dayton, Idaho, population 526.
But future doctors like Bowles are becoming less common. Between 2002 and 2017, the number of medical students from rural areas declined by 28%. Of those who graduate, many are saddled with debt and opt for higher-paying jobs in large hospital systems 鈥� while doctors currently working in rural communities get closer to retirement, diminishing an already thin workforce.
Wyatt Bowles has completed several rotations in southern Idaho 鈥� but he鈥檚 also broadened his experience with rotations in western Washington, including at Seattle Children鈥檚.
Small towns and sparsely populated areas need more physicians like Bowles, who hopes to eventually return home to practice. The 黑料吃瓜网 School of Medicine, with its robust training in rural and underserved communities, aims to meet that need.
It was a great fit for Bowles. And thanks to scholarship support, he鈥檚 able to focus on preparing to serve communities like Dayton.
Rural roots
The youngest of four boys, Bowles spent his childhood exploring his family farm鈥檚 acres of sagebrush and pine, riding four-wheelers with his brothers and tending to the land and livestock.
鈥淲e spent a lot of time building fence, working with cattle, moving irrigation pipe for the farm. And I鈥檇 feed the cows before I went to school,鈥� says Bowles.
He began thinking about a future in medicine as a preteen, when his eldest brother applied for medical school. In high school, Bowles took a Certified Nursing Assistant class and worked in a nursing home to get practical experience.
Though Bowles had his sights on medical school, he says many kids in Dayton didn鈥檛 even consider it a possibility: 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lack of mentors in rural areas for going to medical school and coming back home to practice. And it is expensive. People think you have to pay for it completely out of pocket.鈥�
Growing up on a dairy farm, Bowles took on responsibility at a young age 鈥� building fences, moving irrigation pipes, and feeding the cows before school.
Even with his brother鈥檚 example, and after applying to medical school and interviewing at the 黑料吃瓜网, Bowles wasn鈥檛 sure he belonged.
鈥淚 was planning to reschedule my MCATs and second-guessing if I was a good fit for medical school at all,鈥� he recalls. 鈥淚t was one of the lowest moments of my life 鈥� and then I got the call from the 黑料吃瓜网 that I was accepted.鈥�
Hands-on learning
Even after that happy news, Bowles knew there would be challenges ahead. Practicing rural medicine requires grappling with a lot of complexity, including potentially being the sole doctor in a region without ready access to specialists. Luckily, the 黑料吃瓜网 School of Medicine offered unique, immersive programs to prepare Bowles for what鈥檚 ahead.
In 2020, Bowles began his 黑料吃瓜网 training鈥攊n Moscow, Idaho. The University of Idaho is one of the 黑料吃瓜网鈥檚 partners in the innovative , which allows 黑料吃瓜网 students to train at participating campuses in Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho. Through WWAMI, students can stay close to home for their schooling, or get hands-on experience in similar communities.
WWAMI students spend their first 18 months taking essential science courses, then train in hospitals, clinics or practices within the five-state region. They have access to programs that bolster their understanding of medical practice in underserved areas.
鈥淚 practiced, I sutured, I gave injections. I had my hands in a C-section. I was doing what we鈥檇 only watched or talked about in medical school.鈥�
In his first summer of medical school, Bowles took part in the School of Medicine鈥檚 . During this four-week experience in community medicine, Bowles worked side by side with Lance Hansen, a family doctor at a busy rural clinic in Montpelier, Idaho.
Under Hansen鈥檚 oversight, Bowles stepped into the role of the provider, assessing patients, many of whom knew Hansen from the community.
鈥淗e had this special connection with people because he鈥檇 been there in that small town for 10 years,鈥� Bowles notes. 鈥淧atients would come in and say, 鈥極h, our kids are on the same basketball team.鈥欌�� Bowles was inspired by these authentic relationships and impressed by how Hansen balanced patient privacy with personal connection.
Bowles also got experience creating and communicating care plans and performing procedures: 鈥淚 practiced, I sutured, I gave injections. I had my hands in a C-section. I was doing what we鈥檇 only watched or talked about in medical school.鈥�
The 黑料吃瓜网 School of Medicine鈥檚 unique rural training opportunities allowed Bowles to stay near his home as much as possible.
This vital experience helped him better understand the versatility and bedside manner necessary for rural medicine. 鈥淒r. Hansen did colonoscopies and endoscopies, because there鈥檚 no gastroenterologist there. Rural doctors have to do a little bit more because they鈥檙e more secluded and have fewer resources,鈥� says Bowles.
A broadened perspective
The WWAMI program also gives students the chance to travel. While students at other medical schools may do their third- and fourth-year clinical rotations at a single teaching hospital, WWAMI students can regularly relocate to try different regions and clinical environments.
Small towns and sparsely populated areas need more physicians 鈥� and the 黑料吃瓜网 School of Medicine, with its robust training in rural and underserved communities, aims to meet that need.
Bowles opted for the WWAMI program鈥檚 Idaho track so he could stay in that area as much as possible. He鈥檚 completed several rotations in southern Idaho鈥攂ut he鈥檚 also broadened his experience with rotations at Harborview Medical Center, Madigan Army Medical Center, Seattle Children鈥檚 and 黑料吃瓜网 Medical Center.
Though Bowles is weary of moving around, he says the ability to personalize his learning environments and the experience he gained through RUOP and WWAMI have been invaluable. It鈥檚 further solidified his interest in rural medicine and enhanced his skills.
鈥淚 learned that every doctor is different,鈥� says Bowles. 鈥淭here are different ways to practice medicine. And it depends on your population and who you’re serving.鈥�
鈥淚 want to help kids realize there are schools that believe in them and scholarships for them,鈥� says Bowles. 鈥淭hat they can be doctors just like me.鈥�
Ultimately, Bowles hopes to practice medicine close to home. 鈥淲herever I end up,鈥� he says, 鈥淚 want to be active in the community 鈥� not just be the doctor.鈥�
The power of support
In addition to providing academic support, the 黑料吃瓜网 School of Medicine strives to give students from rural and underserved communities the financial assistance they need to succeed. Bowles received the Laura Moore Cunningham Endowed Scholarship, awarded to lifetime residents of rural Idaho who intend to return and practice there. He also earned the Everett Orville Jones, M.D. Endowed Scholarship.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a certain amount of money that I don’t have to pay interest on and don’t have to worry about paying off,鈥� says Bowles. 鈥淭he scholarships helped reassure me that I am qualified for the program.鈥�
Bowles is set to graduate in May 2024 and plans to go into pediatrics. He still hopes to practice close to home.
鈥淲herever I end up, I want to be active in the community 鈥� not just be the doctor,鈥� he says. He also wants to serve as an example. 鈥淚 want to help kids realize there are schools that believe in them and scholarships for them,鈥� says Bowles. 鈥淭hat they can be doctors just like me.鈥�
Originally published January 2024.
