First-year medical students from the Wyoming-WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho) Medical Education Program in the University of Wyoming’s College of Health Sciences met state leaders — as well as the program’s alumni, preceptors and faculty — during the recent legislative session in Cheyenne.

Those in attendance at the annual WWAMI Medical Education Program legislative luncheon included U.S. Sen. John Barrasso; a representative of U.S. Sen. Cynthia Lummis’ office; UW Provost and Executive Vice President Kevin Carman; WWAMI Assistant Clinical Dean Dr. Robert Monger; Wyoming WWAMI Assistant Director John Willford; University of Washington School of Medicine Dean Dr. Tim Dellit; and Dr. Suzanne Allen, vice dean for academic, rural and regional affairs at the University of Washington School of Medicine.

The keynote speaker at the luncheon, Barrasso, an orthopedic surgeon, also spent time getting to know the WWAMI students.

“You can’t find better patients than folks in Wyoming,” he said. “As patients of yours, folks here are going to look to you to be competent and caring, and they are going to have confidence in you.”

Later in the day, when Barrasso spoke in both chambers of the Wyoming Legislature, he highlighted the importance of the Legislature’s longtime support of the WWAMI Medical Education Program. During his speech to the Senate, he said, “Some of (these students) have had Hathaway Scholarships, as well. One young woman I had lunch with today said, ‘The state of Wyoming’s been investing in me from the beginning … You bet I want to come back to practice in Wyoming.’”

Barrasso, who had just returned from visiting the Wyoming Air National Guard in the Republic of Djibouti, introduced the legislators to Brandi Carreau, a first-year medical student from Laramie. Carreau served in the Republic of Djibouti, a country in East Africa, as an aeromedical evacuation technician providing in-flight medical care to service members with the Wyoming Air National Guard before becoming a medical student. All WWAMI students were introduced by legislators in each chamber.

The WWAMI students also met with Gov. Mark Gordon, who took the time to hear the reason each student chose to go into medicine before asking about their most pressing needs and concerns. Students, faculty, staff and WWAMI administrators toured the State Capitol, along with residents from UW’s Family Medicine Residency Program.

“Legislative Day is a great opportunity for our Wyoming WWAMI medical students to come to the Wyoming State Capitol and meet with legislators and the governor,” Monger says. “They learn about the legislative process, health care policy issues that affect all of us, and how important it is for physicians to become involved in advocacy.”