rural options for medical school students

The University of Washington School of Medicine encourages its students to consider practicing in rural communities. It has developed three programs that allow students to develop their skills in rural hospitals and clinics.

TRUST

TRUST (Targeted Rural/Underserved Track) matches students with clinics and hospitals in eastern Washington, western Washington and Montana. In eastern Washington, doctors in Newport, Grand Coulee, Moses Lake, Chelan and Ellensburg serve as mentors before, during and after the students' first year of medical school.

Interviews with Washington TRUST applicants are conducted at WSU Spokane. All invited applicants will see the Riverpoint campus, meet current WWAMI Spokane students, attend a class, and be interviewed by the admissions committee.

R/UOP

R/UOP (Rural Underserved Opportunities Program) allows students who have finished their first year of medical school to train for four weeks in a rural Northwest community.

WRITE

The WRITE (WWAMI Rural Integrated Training Experience) program provides third-year medical students with a five-month clinical experience in a Northwest town/small city. Students in the TRUST program can continue on to the WRITE program and the same clinic/hospital they worked in during their first year.

Medical student Analiesse Isherwood was one of five 2011-12 first-year TRUST students.

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Medical student Mallory Beale talks about health care in Pomeroy, her hometown in rural southeastern Washington, at a time when the county had no doctors.