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Dear Partnership Health Center Patient,
You are receiving this notification because your doctor is leaving Partnership Health Center and we want you to have information about why and what comes next.
Partnership Health Center is home to the Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana (FMRWM). This residency program trains doctors in the specialty of Family Medicine over the course of 3 years. Each year, a new class of resident doctors joins our team and another class graduates. A resident doctor is a physician (who has completed medical school) and practices medicine in a hospital or clinic under the supervision of a senior doctor who is registered in that specialty. Residency training is a requirement for physicians to obtain an unrestricted license to practice medicine.
Dr. Zachary Carlson, Dr. Grayson Cobb, Dr. Mallory Koula, Dr. Michelle Metcalf, Dr. Kathryn Walicki and Dr. Nicholas Zakovich will be graduating from residency and leaving Partnership Health Center on June 30, 2022. Dr. Sarah Davis, Dr. Emilie McIntyre, and Dr. Matthew Roberts will also be leaving Partnership Health Center on June 23, 2022 to continue their final two years of Family Medicine residency training in Kalispell.
We want to make sure you know that we have a plan in place for your continued care at Partnership Health Center. For convenience, we have assigned a different doctor to take over your medical care. The name of that doctor was in the initial text message you received from us and you can look through the list of residents below to get some more information about them.
Your choice of health care provider is an individual and personal decision. If you have a preference for a specific Partnership Health Center provider to take over your care (such as someone you have seen previously, or with whom you have connected), please let us know by calling the main line (406-258-4789) and we will be able to let you know about their availability for seeing new patients. Visit our providers page for more information on our full-time and faculty providers.
Thank you for choosing Partnership to be your medical home. We recognize that having a change in your doctor can be stressful. Please know that you have played a crucial role in training future doctors, many of whom go on to provide care for rural and underserved Montanans.
Sincerely,
Partnership Health Center is home to the Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana (FMRWM). This residency program trains doctors in the specialty of Family Medicine over the course of 3 years. Each year, a new class of resident doctors joins our team and another class graduates. A resident doctor is a physician (who has completed medical school) and practices medicine in a hospital or clinic under the supervision of a senior doctor who is registered in that specialty. Residency training is a requirement for physicians to obtain an unrestricted license to practice medicine.
Dr. Zachary Carlson, Dr. Grayson Cobb, Dr. Mallory Koula, Dr. Michelle Metcalf, Dr. Kathryn Walicki and Dr. Nicholas Zakovich will be graduating from residency and leaving Partnership Health Center on June 30, 2022. Dr. Sarah Davis, Dr. Emilie McIntyre, and Dr. Matthew Roberts will also be leaving Partnership Health Center on June 23, 2022 to continue their final two years of Family Medicine residency training in Kalispell.
We want to make sure you know that we have a plan in place for your continued care at Partnership Health Center. For convenience, we have assigned a different doctor to take over your medical care. The name of that doctor was in the initial text message you received from us and you can look through the list of residents below to get some more information about them.
Your choice of health care provider is an individual and personal decision. If you have a preference for a specific Partnership Health Center provider to take over your care (such as someone you have seen previously, or with whom you have connected), please let us know by calling the main line (406-258-4789) and we will be able to let you know about their availability for seeing new patients. Visit our providers page for more information on our full-time and faculty providers.
Thank you for choosing Partnership to be your medical home. We recognize that having a change in your doctor can be stressful. Please know that you have played a crucial role in training future doctors, many of whom go on to provide care for rural and underserved Montanans.
Sincerely,
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Dr. Jim Quirk, MD
Chief Medical officer Partnership Health Center |
Dr. Rob Stenger, MD
Program Director Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana |
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Dr. Phillip Anuta
Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine I grew up on a farm outside of a small town in northern Indiana. After completing my undergrad at Indiana University in physics and German, I moved to Austria and worked as an English teacher for a year. When I moved back to the States, I lived out of a van in West Virginia mainly pursuing rock climbing, spent a season in Colorado as a ski instructor and eventually ended up in Salt Lake City taking night courses to get my advanced-EMT certification. I worked rural EMS in Wendover, Nevada on the weekends and at a homeless healthcare clinic in downtown SLC which solidified my desire to become a physician. After attending medical school at Des Moines University in Iowa, I completed a preliminary year in general surgery at University Texas, San Antonio and switched my focus to rural, broad-spectrum primary care. I look forward to building on my skillset at FMRWM and enjoying all the great outdoor recreational opportunities Missoula has to offer with my partner Jess. |
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Dr. Ben Merbler
Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine I was raised in the beautiful state of Michigan, where I spent the majority of my childhood playing sports outside, exploring local forests, and enjoying our incredible lakes with my family each summer. I went on to play football and study kinesiology at Saginaw Valley State University, where my classes and professors helped to foster an interest in preventative medicine, particularly at the physician level through primary care. I traded the great lakes for the great plains as I moved to Missouri to attend medical school at KCU. During my time in school, I developed interests in international medicine, addiction medicine, and wilderness medicine, all of which further cemented my desire to pursue a career in primary care. I fell in love with Western Montana during a week long backpacking trip after my first year of medical school, and I’ve felt a strong pull to this region since then. I’m incredibly fortunate and grateful to have matched at FMRWM and can’t wait to begin my training in full-spectrum family medicine in this new home, surrounded by unrivaled beauty. Outside of medicine I can be found backpacking, camping, watching movies, cruising through Stephen King novels, collecting vinyl records and, much to the chagrin of my girlfriend Paige, breaking out into various musical numbers. I’m eager to pursue all of these hobbies and especially excited to cultivate new ones over the next three years in Missoula. |
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Dr. Jacqueline Ordemann
Tufts University - Maine I was born in Seattle but moved when I was 5 years old to a small village in England called Tylers Green. My family moved to Groton, Massachusetts when I was 10 and I spent the majority of my childhood there. Through lots of family camping, canoeing, and hiking trips, I fell in love with the state of Maine and received my BS in Biochemistry from Bates College. While I was there I fell in love with rural community medicine and public health through my study abroad experience in Thailand and senior thesis research on lead poisoning prevention. After college I worked as an apprentice on Goranson Farm, a small family owned organic farm in rural Maine where my job included working at farmers markets, picking and packing vegetables, and taking care of the chickens and cows. I received my medical degree from the Maine Track Program at Tufts University which allowed me to complete my medical school rotations in rural communities throughout Maine and spurred my interest in full spectrum rural family medicine. From my time on the farm and in rural communities I also developed a passion for food access and I followed this passion as I completed my course work towards my MPH. During my free time I enjoy knitting and spinning yarn, baking, singing, and being outdoors – particularly hiking, cross country skiing, and canoeing. I am thrilled to be joining FMRWM and I am so excited to explore Western Montana! |
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Dr. Stephen Reale
Tufts University I grew up just north of Boston, in Melrose, Massachusetts, where a high school anatomy class solidified my interest in pursuing medicine. I then attended Dickinson College in rural Pennsylvania for undergrad where I majored in neuroscience and music composition, and whether teaching music or tutoring writing, what I truly enjoyed was helping people to improve. After working as an emergency department scribe in Pennsylvania, I returned to Boston to attend Tufts University School of Medicine. While there, I fell in love with everything from obstetrics to pediatrics to surgery, and I couldn’t imagine a career without all of it. It was rumored (in Boston) that this kind of “full-spectrum family medicine” no longer existed, so I took a road trip with my wife, a large animal veterinarian, and found it, alive and well, in the western US. Spending my last year of medical school in Maine, I immediately fell in love with the mountains and forests of western Montana, as well as the friendly, welcoming people of Missoula, and I cannot imagine a better place to train as a family physician. My goal is to fill my medical toolbox with as many tools as possible to help every patient achieve their own personal definition of wellness. In my spare time, I enjoy hiking, rock climbing, and anything else outdoors, as well as writing and performing music, reading, cooking, and spending time adventuring with my cat and my brilliant and beautiful wife while planning our rural all-are-welcome human/animal practice. |
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Dr. Jonathan Rhea
Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine I grew up in a Houma, Louisiana, where I spent most of my childhood fishing on the bayous and in the gulf. I worked my way up through Louisiana restaurant kitchens, but missing the outdoors, I migrated to Asheville, North Carolina. There I worked as an outdoor educator, guiding backpacking and rock climbing trips. I longed for bigger mountains so took a job working on a cattle ranch in Aspen, Colorado. Eventually I ended up in Mammoth Lakes, California where I worked as a professional ski patroller for ten years. This experience piqued my interest in medicine, and I enrolled at the University of Nevada, Reno, majoring in chemistry. I completed medical school in Iowa at Des Moines University. Since I first left Mammoth, I knew I wanted to get back to a mountain town, and having a strong interest in rural family medicine, FMRWM seemed like a great fit. In my free time I enjoy mountain biking, backcountry skiing, and mountaineering. I plan to practice full spectrum family medicine in a small town in the mountain west. I am excited to be moving to Missoula with my wife, stepson, and yellow lab, where I can introduce them to the joys of mountain living. |
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Dr. Rachael Schmidt
University of Nebraska While I have lived all over the United States, I have spent the most of my time in Omaha, Nebraska. At the University of Nebraska – Lincoln I received my bachelor’s degree in biology. Shortly afterwards, I was accepted to the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) for medical school. It is during my time at UNMC that I discovered my passion for full-spectrum family medicine and deepened my interests in issues of public health, behavioral health, reproductive justice, and physician wellness. After a camping trip to Glacier National Park, my husband and I have been waiting for the opportunity to move to such a beautiful area of the country. I am thrilled I can continue my learning with the amazing faculty and residents at FMRWM here in Missoula. During my free time I enjoy climbing, camping, traveling, photography, and hiking -- alongside my husband, David, and our two dogs, Henry and Louis. |
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Dr. Melanie Scott
Pacific NW University College of Osteopathic Medicine I was born and raised in Spokane Washington where I spent my summers on lake Coeur d’Alene. I attended Washington State University where I studied Neuroscience and Psychology. After college I spent time in a Neuropsychology lab working with older adults with memory impairment as well as in the ER in the Seattle Washington area. These experiences confirmed my love of medicine and helped me become the person I am today. I attended Pacific Northwest University in Yakima Washington where I developed my passion for preventative medicine, osteopathic manipulation, women’s health, and full-scope primary care. In my free time I enjoy hiking, yoga, baking, and watching movies. I look forward to moving to Missoula and exploring all the outdoor activities that Montana has to offer with my husband Parker and our dog Moana. |
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Dr. Sienna Foxton
Pacific NW University College of Osteopathic Medicine I was born in Bozeman, Montana but I grew up mostly in Alaska. My dad was a tour bus driver in Denali National Park so we spent the summers in Denali (in a cabin without electricity or running water) and the winters in Anchorage. I attended college at Wellesley College outside of Boston, but after four years in the east I missed the mountains too much and moved back to the Pacific Northwest. I landed in Yakima, Washington where I served as an AmeriCorps volunteer working with foster kids on the Yakama Reservation and as a ParaEducator at an elementary school. I also was a Peace Corps volunteer teaching 8th grade math in a small town in Mozambique. After the Peace Corps I returned to Yakima to start medical school at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences. During medical school I was consistently drawn to family medicine for its emphasis on preventative care, opportunity to treat the whole family, and focus on social determinants of health. My interests within family medicine include women’s health, underserved medicine, and osteopathic manual medicine. I was drawn to FMRWM because of the program’s emphasis on rural and underserved medicine, the strength of the OMM curriculum, and the wonderful people that make the program what it is. In my free time my wife Emmy and I enjoy backpacking, biking, hiking, gardening, and cooking new recipes. |
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Dr. Kara Francis
University of Washington I was born and raised in Livingston, MT. After receiving my undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Oregon, I returned to Montana to work at a health center in Hardin, MT. My upbringing in a small community, work in Hardin, and love of the outdoors led me to desire a career and life in rural Montana. Thus, I decided to pursue family medicine with specific interest in work with rural and underserved populations, social justice, and social determinants of health. I attended medical school at the University of Washington, where I completed much of my training in Montana communities, further encouraging my passion for rural family medicine. Outside of medicine, I love to spend time outdoors with my dogs and partner, trail running, skiing, hiking, and more recently learning to fly fish. I am thrilled to continue my training in my home state and to explore the incredible areas around Missoula. |
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Dr. Alec Kerins
University of Colorado I was born and raised in Helena, Montana where I spent my childhood exploring the woods, raising livestock, and running up and down the soccer field. After earning my B.A. in Biology from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, OR, I joined Teach for America and taught high school science in the San Francisco Bay Area. Seeing first-hand the systemic inequities and barriers that prevented my students from accessing the high-quality education they deserved, I spent the better part of the next decade working to change that. After repeatedly facing the tight connection between health and educational outcomes, I decided to make the transition to medicine. I earned my medical degree from the University of Colorado, and was fortunate to have great mentors that provided experiences allowing me to explore my passion for rural communities, population health, advocacy and healthcare access. My wife, two sons, and our two pups are really looking forward to joining the FMRWM family and calling Western Montana home again. When not thinking about medicine, I can be found trail running, skiing, fly fishing, camping, working on home improvement projects, and exploring the back-roads of Montana. |
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Dr. Travis Kinane
Pacific NW University College of Osteopathic Medicine Born in the middle of the Willamette Valley in Beaverton, Oregon, I attended Linfield University near the Oregon coast, where I played basketball and ran track. At the start of my junior year, I accepted a two-year internship working with underprivileged, overweight children in the community that changed my career trajectory towards medicine. I then worked as a medical assistant and surgical scrub at an orthopedic clinic for several years after finishing college. I matriculated into medical school at Pacific Northwest University in Central Washington and spent my clinical years in Fairbanks, Alaska. I chose to pursue family medicine to provide preventative medicine and full-spectrum care to my patients. During my free time, I love exploring the outdoors with my family and friends, biking, playing basketball, or skijoring with my hound-dog Huckleberry. |
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Dr. Jennifer Selland
University of Massachusetts I grew up in Needham, MA, a suburban town about 10 miles west of Boston, and spent most of my teenage years horseback riding and skiing. I attended University of Rochester for college, and that’s where my desire to reach vulnerable populations strengthened after working for the Preventive Care Program for Urban Children with Asthma. During a gap year post college, I was fortunate to work at a summer camp for children with high-cognitive autism spectrum disorder and then as a medical assistant in a Radiation Oncology department. Through both of those jobs, I realized just how important forming relationships with the patients and families I was working with on a daily basis was to me, and that’s when I knew I wanted to enter a field where I could have strong continuity of care in my practice. After starting medical school at UMass, I was drawn to Family Medicine because of the mission of the specialty to address health inequities and act as community advocates for patients, as well as the compassionate personalities of others in the field. My passions outside of medicine include running, skiing, hiking, dog walks, working on my vegetarian culinary skills, and convincing anyone I’m with to play a game of Catan. It has been my dream to move to a mountain town like Missoula, where the opportunities for outdoor activities are endless. I am so excited to explore Montana, learn, and grow alongside the FMRWM team! |
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Dr. Rebecca Sharar
University of Washington I grew up on an island outside of Seattle and have been traversing the water and mountains ever since. I set off to be an architect at the University of Washington only to discover that design was not, in fact, my strongest asset. Traveling through Ecuadorian rain forests in college led me to ultimately study biology and Spanish. After a brief stint as a high school basketball coach in California I moved to Michigan to get my MPH at the University of Michigan and work for a county health department. The Great Lakes sure were great, but I realized the mountains were where I was home. My interests in preventative health, longitudinal patient relationships, and working with people of all ages and experiences led me back west to medical school at the University of Washington to become a future family medicine doctor. I participated in the WWAMI program which took me throughout Washington, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana for my clinical training. It was in Montana (my dad’s homeland) that I fell in love with rural family medicine practice and living. I plan to return to a small community in the Montana mountains after residency. If I’m not inside a classroom, clinic, or hospital, I am probably skiing in the backcountry, flying a paraglider off Mt Jumbo, trail running through the Bitterroots, or losing a well-fought game of Settlers of Catan in the living room. |
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Dr. Cecilia Weeks
Johns Hopkins University Born in a small town in upstate New York, my three sisters and I spent our early childhood playing in creeks and cornfields. After moving around quite a bit, I settled down in Austin, TX for my formative years, which I now call my hometown. I attended the University of Texas at Austin, studying biology with a public health focus. As a healthy policy intern, I advocated to close the coverage gap in Texas. After graduating, I spent my gap year as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer teaching reproductive health to high schoolers in Austin. I returned to the East Coast to attend Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where I was able to help develop and lead a trauma-informed care elective for my fellow students. I’m passionate about breaking the cycle of generational trauma by addressing not only children’s health needs, but by improving the health of parents, grandparents, and mothers-to-be. This is why family medicine has always made sense to me. I’ve been an outdoor enthusiast since my childhood but picked up running and cycling along the way. My husband, Ryan, and I are thrilled to move to Missoula with our cat, Pluto. |
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Dr. Sarah Tucker
Pacific NW University College of Osteopathic Medicine I was born and raised in a small, rural town in Northern California. After high school, I began college at Cal Poly, and decided after two years to transfer to Montana State University. At MSU I completed my Bachelor’s in Cell Biology and Neuroscience and Master’s in Health Sciences, and completely fell in love with the beauty and culture of the state of Montana. During my time in Bozeman, I worked several jobs including caregiving for a young boy with special needs and teaching anatomy in various settings. These experiences affirmed that I longed to serve and teach others through medicine, and that I was on the right path by pursuing a career in primary care. I have a deep passion for caring for those with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and have devoted much of my extracurricular time to serving this population. I plan to continue to do so in my future practice by working to improve access to quality, full-spectrum primary care for these individuals and other underserved populations in Montana. Outside of medicine, you’ll catch me spending time with loved ones and furry friends. We enjoy anything outdoors, and often go hiking or backpacking, and also enjoy any indoor crafts and projects. I am honored and could not be more excited to join the FMRWM team. |
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Dr. Emily Balon
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine Born into a working-class family in Middletown, OH (the backdrop of the #1 NY Times Bestseller Hillbilly Elegy), I was the first in my family to attend college. I was able to do so thanks to a full-tuition scholarship to Wright State University where I earned my degree in Anthropology, along with a minor in Spanish. I entered medical school at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine with an open mind, but was immediately set on family medicine after my third year rotation in small town of 4,000 in Indiana. I loved the comprehensive nature of the specialty: I loved the prenatal and pediatric visits, the geriatric patients, the ability to practice obstetrics, the in-office procedures, and most of all, the longitudinal relationships formed over generations. Furthermore, I felt practicing family medicine was the best way to position myself to address social determinants of health and population health. I was drawn to the FMRWM due to its comprehensive curriculum and rural training opportunities. My long term goal is to practice in a small town setting where I can help fill a needed role in a close-knit community. Outside of medicine, I enjoy trying new recipes, listening to audiobooks, tending to my house plants, hiking, cuddling with my cat, playing board games, supporting local ice cream shops, going on casual outings with friends, and FaceTiming with my grandparents. |
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Dr. Nicholas Booker
Des Moines College of Osteopathic Medicine I grew up in Andover, Minnesota, which is about 30 minutes north of the Twin Cities. I got my first taste of Montana when I visited in my senior year of high school to tour MSU in Bozeman and spent a week at Big Sky. I spent my freshman year at Bozeman and then transferred to Minnesota State University, Mankato, where I studied Biomedical Science and Biochemistry. I attended Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine where I found a passion for Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment, and it’s uses in a primary care setting. During my fourth year, I spent four weeks working in a Family Medicine clinic in Missoula and fell in love with the town, the culture, and the people. I am thrilled to be returning to Missoula and to be a part of such a wonderful community. I’m interested in broad spectrum rural medicine, preventative medicine, cardiology, behavioral health, and addiction medicine. I want build long lasting relationships with my patients and truly understand their psychosocial situations, goals and needs and implement those into an individualized healthcare plan to help them live their lives to their fullest potential. In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my wife, Megan, and our cats. I like snowboarding, golfing, kayaking, drumming, documentaries, and board games. I am excited to continue these hobbies and to adopt some new one’s during my time in Missoula! |
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Dr. Ilana Buffenstein
University of Hawaii, John A Burns School of Medicine Aloha! I was born and raised in beautiful Honolulu, Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, where I grew up surfing, hiking, and generally appreciating the great outdoors. I attended the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoa, where I explored some of my more non-medical interests, as both an English/Film studies major and a college radio DJ. As a medical student at the John A. Burns School of Medicine, I volunteered with our Homeless Outreach Medical Education (H.O.M.E.) project in a mobile RV clinic, providing medical care to unhoused individuals around the island of Oʻahu. I had the opportunity to work in rural settings on Oʻahu and the Big Island, where I witnessed numerous healthcare disparities – particularly within our own Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities. As a student, I pursued research avenues that let me continue my activism work, including projects in both abortion access via telemedicine and clinical trial representation of women and minorities. Wanting to receive more family planning training, I eventually became an abortion doula for people undergoing medication abortion. My interests in medicine include women’s health, mental illness and substance use disorders in pregnancy, global health, and trauma-informed care. I was drawn to FMRWM because of the opportunity to practice full-spectrum rural FM, their RHEDI curriculum, and addiction medicine opportunities. I look forward to moving to Missoula and joining the lovely FMRWM mishpochah! |
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Dr. Julie Eggleton
California Northstate University College of Medicine Growing up in the sunny city of Tucson, Arizona, I spent mild winters adventuring outdoors and sweltering summers in air-conditioned museums. I happily attended the University of California, Davis where I earned a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with a minor in Spanish. After enjoying work at various jobs across the state of California, I was determined to answer my true calling of medicine and was pleased to obtain my medical degree from California Northstate University. I am drawn to family medicine because of the diversity of practice, the emphasis on preventative care, and the longitudinal relationships with patients and families. I am passionate about advocacy work, reproductive health, and providing care to under-resourced communities. I am thrilled to join the FMRWM family and aim to work in full-spectrum family practice with obstetrics. In my free time, you can find me with my spouse, Micah, and our dog, Tucker. I love photography, baking, traveling, and all outdoor activities such as hiking, climbing, snowboarding, or kayaking. We are so excited about living in and exploring the beautiful state of Montana. |
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Dr. Mckenzie Keeling-Garcia
Pacific Northwest University College of Osteopathic Medicine Mckenzie was born in the northwest and grew up working on her family’s commercial fishing boat in rural Alaska. She fell in love with Montana when she came here for college and always hoped to return one day. Mckenzie attended medical school at Pacific Northwest University in Washington and chose family medicine because she loved being able to combine her many interests, getting to know her patients, and care for their whole family. She is especially interested women’s health, obesity medicine, and addiction medicine. In her spare time, Mckenzie enjoys spending time outdoors with her family and friends, hiking, snowboarding, wakeboarding, river floating, and always taking the back roads. Her fiancé Cody and their cat Nessa are also excited to explore all that Montana has to offer. After residency she hopes to practice full spectrum frontier medicine. |
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Dr. Neha Malhotra
University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Columbia I was born and raised in Irmo, a suburb just outside of Columbia, South Carolina. I spent my childhood running around with my two siblings (both of whom are doctors now!), flitting in and out of orchestra rehearsals, and enjoying many lazy afternoons at the Public Library. I went to college at the University of South Carolina and completed a BARSC-MD degree with focuses on Biology, Music, and Spanish. After undergrad, I matriculated to the University of South Carolina School of Medicine- Columbia. What really drew me to primary care is the opportunity to serve my community in so many different capacities. My professional interests include Women’s health, LGBTQ+ healthcare, and behavioral health. Growing up and going to medical school in the South gave me the opportunity to work with many rural and underserved populations, something that played a huge factor in my decision to train at FMRWM. Not to mention, I was very partial to the beautiful landscape in Montana! In my free time I enjoy cooking, reading, knitting, dancing, playing with my cat Pippin, and taking care of my many houseplants. I love music and anything related to Star Wars. I’ve never lived outside of South Carolina, but Pippin and I are looking forward to embracing the lovely city of Missoula as our new home! |
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Dr. Moriah Murray
Toura University Nevada College of Osteopathic Medicine I was born in Germany and raised in more than half a dozen places in the US, being an Army brat. My family comes from the rural South and West, and where I consider home for now is Boise, Idaho, where my mother put down roots 11 years ago (even if I kept moving). I graduated from Boise State and strongly considered working for the Forest Service with my biology degrees if med school didn't work out, so coming to Western Montana wasn't a hard decision to make. Before medical school I worked as a CNA in long term care/home care, and as a sterile processing technician. I pursued surgery (still aiming rural/underserved) for most of medical school, but my experiences with chronic disease and disability, along with my existing passion for those patient populations, led to a path shift. I am fully committed to becoming the full-spectrum family physician that I wish I had. My interests are broad, but primarily include wound care, reproductive/sexual and gender-affirming care, and multispecialty management of complex and rare diseases. Hospice/palliative care and geriatrics hold special places in my heart as well. I look forward to providing compassionate, trauma-informed care to the queer and disabled communities in particular. Outside of medicine, I am excited to finally settle down and hopefully build a greenhouse that the wind can't blow away. Maybe even a chicken coop! I am filling up a National Parks passport and will happily give and receive tips about which parts are most accessible. I love camping, craft cocktails, and video games. |
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Dr. Connor Rogan
University of Washington School of Medicine I was born and raised in the rural island community of Kodiak, Alaska. After high school, I played sprint football for Mansfield University in Pennsylvania for a year before attending the University of Alaska Fairbanks and earning a degree in Biology. After college, I returned to my hometown of Kodiak and had a career as a structural welder and commercial diver. My interest in medicine began while accompanying my wife to see specialists for her chronic disease and experiencing the limitations of healthcare in our community. I wanted to serve my community in a higher capacity which eventually led me to pursue medical school. I completed my medical degree at the University of Washington, participated in the WWAMI Rural Integrated Training Experience (WRITE), and was part of the Targeted Rural and Underserved Track (TRUST). I have always known I wanted to be a rural physician, and I plan to return to Kodiak after residency. I like the breadth of scope that family medicine provides and the variability in your day-to-day practice. I am married to my high-school sweetheart, Amy. We have two children, a dog, and a rabbit. My interests include scuba diving, hiking with my family, baking macarons, and backpacking. My family and I are excited to experience Montana! |
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Dr. Emily Young
Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth I grew up in a Navy family moving every couple of years; the most interesting place we lived was Moscow, Russia, and the nicest was Honolulu, Hawaii. At Harvard University, I studied Evolutionary Biology, and spent summers working at Camp Cheerio Adventures, where I met my now-husband, Bill. After college I moved to rural, Appalachian North Carolina with Bill and worked as an EMT for Wilkes County and did several other part-time jobs including driving school buses and substitute teaching for our K-8 school! We moved to Vermont in 2018 when I was accepted to Dartmouth’s medical school. The best parts of medical school were my FM clerkship in Valdez, AK at a tiny hospital run by the 3-4 Family Docs, who showed me how invigorating it is to learn to provide all emergent and routine services for your rural community, as well as completing a year-long “Schweitzer Fellowship” community service project in which I became a DONA-certified birth doula to offer free prenatal, birth, and postpartum services to under-resourced women. Additionally, several Palliative rotations and volunteering with Bayada Hospice have made me passionate about palliative and hospice care. March of M4 year was fantastic, between Matching to FMRWM and the birth of our son, Theodore! In addition to pursuing training at FMRWM to be a full-spectrum, rural Family Doc, Bill and I are thrilled to spend 3+ years in Missoula, surrounded by incredible outdoor opportunities to pursue our interests in rock climbing, whitewater rafting, downhill skiing, and mountain biking, along with Theo and our 1yo lab-mix, Bec! |
