The WWAMI Medical Education Program at the University of Wyoming recently welcomed its 28th entering class, with 20 new medical students, including Powell’s Carson Asher and Caden Crooks of Cody, from across Wyoming.

A stethoscope ceremony, in which students were presented with stethoscopes and white coats, recently marked their start in WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho) at the University of Wyoming through the University of Washington School of Medicine. The event was sponsored and hosted by Ivinson Memorial Hospital in Laramie.

Dr. Todd Guth, director of the WWAMI program at the University of Wyoming, opened with remarks pointing to the strong network of support the medical students can expect from faculty, mentors, preceptors and real-life training provided through facilities, such as Ivinson Memorial Hospital. Guth emphasized upholding excellence and patient centeredness as key attributes in the practice of medicine.

Terry Moss, chief operations officer at Ivinson Memorial Hospital, spoke to the medical students and emphasized that the hospital will be an educational partner from start to finish as the students begin their medical journey and return to Wyoming to practice as physicians.

Michelle Hilaire, interim dean of the College of Health Sciences, speaking about the experiences that await the future medical professionals, noted that there will be highs and lows that all caregivers face. But the strengths and values learned through WWAMI will prepare students to become the future of health care in Wyoming.

“The ceremony is a symbolic moment where science meets compassion as students obtain the necessary tools to move between the classroom to the clinical immersion experiences,” Hilaire sais.

WWAMI clinical faculty members also spoke during the ceremony. Dr. Dan Radosevich emphasized the importance of connecting with medical school mentors. Dr. Dana Govaerts explained how the stethoscope is not only used to listen to patients physically, but also represents the learned skill of hearing and responding to what patients have to say.

Dr. Julie Carlson commented on the symbolism of the short white coats presented to students at the stethoscope ceremony, as the coats represent the beginning of the medical students’ journey to becoming highly skilled physicians. At the time of their graduation, students will receive full-length white coats, representing having gained the knowledge and experience of a trusted physician.

About the Wyoming-WWAMI Medical Education Program

The WWAMI Medical Education Program — Wyoming’s medical school— is a partnership between the University of Wyoming and the University of Washington School of Medicine. WWAMI is an acronym for the five states that participate in the program: Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho.

WWAMI reserves 20 seats each year for qualified Wyoming residents. Students accepted to the program spend 18 months on the University of Wyoming campus. The third and fourth years are spent at selected clinical sites throughout the WWAMI region.