UW WWAMI students meet with Gov. Mark Gordon. From left are Celeste Keelin, Kyler
Arriola, Shay Nelson, Carson Asher, Audrey Peasley, Caden Crooks, Noah Gustafson,
Ben Radosevich, Cassidy Sebastian, Jack Syring, the governor, Avery Potter, Jill Mayer,
Aedian O’Connor, Makena Engelker, Cassidy Dellos, Sarah Retherford, Lulu Rochelle,
Tim Radosevich and Annika Syvrud. (Courtney Garrison Photo)
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 with state political and medical leaders Feb. 18 in Cheyenne.
Those in attendance at the annual WWAMI Medical Education Program Legislative Luncheon
Day events included several state legislators; representatives of Wyoming’s congressional
delegation; UW President Ed Seidel; College of Health Sciences Dean Patrick Hardigan;
WWAMI Assistant Clinical Dean Dr. Robert Monger; WWAMI Director Dr. Todd Guth; University
of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM) Dean Dr. Tim Dellit; UWSOM Vice Dean for
Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs Dr. Suzanne Allen; and UWSOM Executive Vice Dean
Dr. Alex Chiu.
During the morning sessions, Sheila Bush, executive director of the Wyoming Medical
Society, and Dr. Alexia Harrist, Wyoming’s state health officer, talked with members
of the 2024 entering class of medical students about current health issues around
the state and opportunities and challenges they will encounter when they return to
practice in the rural communities of Wyoming.
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 more in-depth questions
they each had.
“Through our meeting with Gov. Gordon and our introductions on the Senate and House
floors, it became clear that our state’s government strongly supports our program
and recognizes its long-term benefits for both Wyoming and its people,” says Ben Radosevich,
of Casper, a medical student in the entering class of 2024 and the Wyoming Medical
Society student representative. “We also felt the full support of the University of
Washington, demonstrated throughout the day in our Capitol by the attendance and participation
of the school of medicine’s leadership team.”
During the luncheon, Guth thanked all of those in attendance who helped support the
Wyoming WWAMI program and spoke about the importance of connection, community and
relationships for the success of medical education in Wyoming.
“The mutually supportive relationships among the Wyoming State Legislature, the Wyoming
Medical Society, the University of Wyoming and the University of Washington School
of Medicine are essential to train physicians within the state of Wyoming and have
those physicians to care for the people in communities throughout Wyoming,” Guth says.
“We are Wyoming’s medical school. The Wyoming WWAMI Medical Education Program provides
a first-class medical education right here in Laramie and across the communities of
Wyoming. Our students are from Wyoming, they train in Wyoming, and they plan to return
to practice in Wyoming once they complete their residencies and fellowships.”
Hardigan also highlighted the importance of the Wyoming-WWAMI program.
“As dean of the College of Health Sciences, I am proud of the strong partnerships
between our state Legislature, the Wyoming Medical Society, and both the University
of Wyoming and the University of Washington School of Medicine,” he says. “The program
not only provides world-class medical education right here in Wyoming, but it also
ensures that our students are equipped to return to their communities as physicians.
This connection between education, community and leadership is key to building a healthier
future for our state.”
Students, faculty, staff and WWAMI administrators toured the State Capitol. Faculty
members met with legislators and colleagues from the UW Family Medicine Residency
Program at an evening reception at the Cheyenne Country Club, hosted by the Wyoming
Health Resources Network.
Members of the 2024 entering class of first-year WWAMI medical students, listed by
their hometowns, are:
Afton -- Shay Nelson.
Banner -- Noah Gustafson.
Big Horn -- Jill Mayer.
Casper -- Avery Potter, Ben Radosevich, Sarah Retherford and Lulu Rochelle.
Cheyenne -- Cassidy Dellos.
Cody -- Caden Crooks.
Douglas -- Makena Engelker and Audrey Peasley.
Green River -- Timothy Radosevich and Hannah Thomas.
Jackson -- Kyler Arriola and Cassidy Sebastian.
Laramie -- Aedian O’Connor.
Powell -- Carson Asher.
Rock Springs -- Celeste Keelin and Annika Syvrud.
Sheridan -- Jack Syring.
About WWAMI Medical Education
WWAMI Medical Education -- Wyoming’s medical school -- is a partnership between the
University of Wyoming and the University of Washington School of Medicine. WWAMI Medical
Education 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.
About the University of Wyoming College of Health Sciences
UW’s College of Health Sciences trains health and wellness professionals and researchers
in a wide variety of disciplines, including medicine, nursing, pharmacy, speech-language
pathology, social work, kinesiology, public health, health administration and disability
studies. The college also oversees residency and fellowship programs in Casper and
Cheyenne, as well as operating a speech/hearing clinic in Laramie and primary care
clinics in Laramie, Casper and Cheyenne.
With more than 1,600 undergraduate, graduate and professional students, the college
is dedicated to training the health and wellness workforce of Wyoming and conducting
high-quality research and community engagement, with a particular focus on rural and
frontier populations.
