有其父必有其子(和孙子)
Bill Thurston did not set out to be a doctor like his father and grandfather. 现在，他为这种共同的联系感到自豪.
“爸爸从来没有逼我去学医，”比尔说. “但当我开始认真考虑这个问题时, 他告诉我‘如果这是你想做的事情, 这是一个非常令人满意的职业.’”
比尔的祖父，沃尔特·戴斯·瑟斯顿，M.D.他在圣. 结婚40年了. 他的父亲，里克·瑟斯顿，M.D.他从医学领域退休，在家乡圣. 在时隔27年后于2018年结婚.
爱达荷之路WWAMI
Bill and his father not only share genetics and careers as doctors, they share alma maters, as well. Both have a bachelor’s degree from the 365滚球官网 – ‘13 and ’74, 分别从2021年5月开始, 他们都获得了M.D. 通过我大学的WWAMI医学教育项目.
Idaho WWAMI is a unique partnership between U of I and the University of Washington School of Medicine. 存在了近50年, WWAMI服务于五州地区(华盛顿州), Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho) and provides residents of those states the opportunity to attend one of the best medical schools in the country for in-state tuition. Students attend their first two years of Idaho WWAMI at the 365滚球官网, followed by clerkships that can almost all be completed in communities across the Gem State.
“当我被医学院录取的时候, I was actually living in Moscow across from the WWAMI facility,” Bill said. “It was pretty cool to look out my window and see my future medical school right there in front of me.”
爱达荷州的医生需求
WWAMI places special emphasis on the healthcare needs of rural and underserved communities.
“WWAMI’s mission has always been to increase the number of small-town rural physicians,” Dr. Thurston said. “Right now, 需求超过了供给, and Idaho WWAMI is more important than ever for the state.”
That’s because Idaho ranks last in physicians per capita. Compounding this, Idaho has been the fastest-growing state for three years running, and many of the Gem State’s healthcare professionals are nearing retirement. Idaho WWAMI keeps the physician pipeline intact by training 40 of Idaho’s best and brightest students every year right in their home state.
“Through some of my WWAMI clerkships, I’ve seen patients in St. Maries who were cared for by both my father and grandfather,” Bill said. “我不太清楚爸爸在成长过程中是做什么的. But now I see what he was doing firsthand, and it’s really illuminating.”
小镇小，心大
In March, Bill will learn where he matched for a three-year medical residency. 他祈祷那地方离家近.
“I’m like my father in that the connection to people is a fulfilling aspect of medicine, and I think that that may be more pronounced in a small town,” he said. “One of the things dad enjoys most about retirement is being able to still see his former patients at the grocery store or at church. He’ll always be a small-town doctor who wants to positively influence people’s lives and that’s been passed down to me.”
Byline: 林赛·洛迪斯的文章, WWAMI医学教育计划 at the 365滚球官网, and Sam Steffen, Project ECHO
照片归因: 图片由比尔·瑟斯顿提供
Published Date: February 2021
Double WWAMI - 2021 Idaho WWAMI Alumni Award Recipient Passes Down Physician Tradition
Rick Thurston, M.D., is the recipient of the 2021 Idaho WWAMI Alumni Award for community contributions, teaching the next generation of physicians and providing exceptional care to his patients.
“Dr. Thurston’s mission is to improve the lives and health of individuals through community involvement,杰夫·西格米勒说, 我大学WWAMI主任.
A graduate of the UW School of Medicine WWAMI医学教育计划, he served as Benewah Community Hospital’s chief of staff for six years and emergency room medical director for over 20. 他也是圣. 玛丽志愿社区诊所服务16年，圣. 玛丽救护车工作了20年.
Dr. Thurston and his wife, Karen, routinely hosted summer picnics for EMTs and their families. The two of them are also founding committee members of the St. Joe River Marathon.
在他的职业生涯中. Maries, he stayed engaged with his hometown and served numerous state and national medical organizations throughout his career, including:
- 美国医学协会会员;
- the American Academy and Idaho Academy of Family Physicians, member;
- the Idaho Medical Association Board of Directors, six years, including the last year as president;
- the Blue Cross of Idaho Board of Directors, nine years;
- the Admission Committee for Idaho WWAMI, six years; and
- the Shiloh Christian Guest Ranch Board of Directors, six years.
“As I reflect back on many years of life and medical practice in St. Maries, I feel so blessed and privileged to be part of so many lives,” Dr. Thurston said. “Hopefully, I have positively touched these people and their families as much as they have touched me.”
Dr. Thurston’s son, Bill Thurston, will graduate this year from Idaho WWAMI and Rhegan McGregor, a student that Dr. 瑟斯顿在圣. Maries, started her medical school career with Idaho WWAMI in 2020.
“我希望能追随布朗博士的脚步. 在瑟斯顿继续我的学业，”麦格雷戈说. “我想回到爱达荷州的农村社区, provide quality health care that is amplified by both relationships and service. Additionally, 作为一名未来的医生, I want to repay the favor of mentorship to the next generation of physicians just as Dr. Thurston has.”