2021 recipients
Marleny Carmona
WSU Elson Floyd School of Medicine
Hometown: Mattawa, Wash.
Undergraduate: Washington State University – Pullman and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Durham, N.C.
Favorite clinical rotation, and why: My favorite rotation was a Sub-internship at Kadlec Family Medicine Residency Program. I worked with an interdisciplinary team that involved other medical students, medical assistants, residents, and attendings, which allowed for collaboration and learning.
What drew you to Family Medicine? I chose to become a family medicine doctor to be able to care for anyone who walks through the door regardless of their age and gender.
Anything else you want people to know about you? I look forward to becoming a family medicine doctor in rural Eastern Washington to break cultural and language barriers in medicine and to be an agent of positive change in the medical field. I also look forward to mentoring Latinx students who aspire to have a career in medicine.
Travis Nash
Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine
Hometown: Outlook, WA
Undergraduate: Washington State University – Vancouver
Favorite clinical rotation: Obstetrics/Gynecology because the delivery of a baby is one of the most rewarding and beautiful experiences to attend, and because the specialty offers a nice blend between the surgical and medical elements.
What drew you to Family Medicine? My career in medicine is inseparably united to my faith in Jesus. He became a servant to others, even though He was God. I wanted to use all of my training and experience to become a servant for my community as well. Through diligent prayer and self-reflection, I found this to be best satisfied in the practice of Family Medicine.
Anything else you want people to know about you? My beginning in life was humble and without much guidance or direction. Through faith in Jesus, my life was renewed and I was given a chance to start afresh. Those who knew me in my past would have resigned my fate to destruction, and they would have been correct if it had not been for the redemption that came through faith in Jesus Christ. I serve as living proof that a person’s future is not determined by their upbringing, past, or circumstances. God has decided to redeem an irredeemable person such as myself in demonstration of His great power and to show that no life is ever too far gone for Him to save. I am now a husband, father, entrusted confidant, leader, mentor, and soon-to-be doctor, and all of this was only made possible through God’s saving grace.
Juan Razo
Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine
Hometown: Grandview, Wash.
Favorite clinical rotation: I really enjoyed my time in Family Medicine and Obstetrics and Gynecology. I was given a lot of responsibility as a third- and fourth-year medical student during these rotations which helped me gain the confidence, knowledge, and practice needed for the future.
What drew you to Family Medicine? I envision a future practice where patients feel safe, heard, understood, and ultimately cared for. Family medicine allows me to create this reality. It creates an environment that allows for lasting relationships that sustain a strong bond between patient and doctor. I have always believed that healing takes place when mind, body, and spirit are cared for. Only family medicine grants the time needed to nurture all three throughout a patient’s life.
In addition, family medicine presents the opportunity to be at the forefront of medicine where I feel I can make the biggest difference. It allows me to practice full spectrum from the OB patient to the neonate to the person in old age. I have found that family medicine requires a vast amount of knowledge that is continually challenging which requires persistence and devotion.
As I plan for the future, I can’t help but focus on the need for more providers within our rural communities. I plan to be part of that solution. In doing so, I hope to promote health and well-being and prevent progression of disease.
Anything else you want people to know about you? I am extremely honored to have been selected by a group of individuals who grew to know and love Dr. Burr Field. A group of people who knew exactly what he meant to his patients and his community. I hope to do the same. This scholarship will serve as a reminder of the type of care I am to carry out for future generations. I will be forever thankful.
Jordyn Wirkkala
Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine
Hometown: Cathlamet, Wash.
Undergraduate: Gonzaga University
Favorite clinical rotation: One experience I will share was with a Family Medicine physician in Moses Lake. A long-time female pt had presented with shortness of breath that had been bothering her for a handful of weeks. She was a retired teacher, an avid smoker, and had lost her energy and breath the last few weeks. She was due for a CT of her chest to check for lung nodules but had not had it completed yet, so she presented to us. As a teacher, she noted she truly enjoyed working with medical students and was happy to answer my questions and allow me to perform a physical exam on her. She spoke highly of her physician, who I was working with, and our conversation gently entered into her life experience and how her current symptoms had inhibited her from doing some of the hobbies she enjoyed. The apparent bond between this physician and his patients and the mutual respect between him and me as a team turned her appointment into an unforgettable learning experience which was remarkable. The workup was thorough and the results were sobering. This woman had lung cancer.
The following conversation was difficult, heart-wrenching, and deeply moving. This physician had known this patient for years, had taken care of her through multiple health crises and here he was comforting her as she was alone facing this horrible new reality. Further, she was admitted to the hospital a few weeks later, this physician oversaw her care inpatient as well, encompassing the full-circle clinical medicine that rural family medicine physicians live each day. My rotation had come to an end but that physician updated me on her hospital course and she ended up dying a few months later. That connection between patient and physician is why rural family medicine is so appealing to me. This woman had a professional, yet personal and caring, relationship with her doctor that I’m sure gave her peace of mind and a feeling of support during her entire treatment course up until her passing. This experience solidified my already focused decision of practicing family medicine but it had also turned into one of my most cherished memories of medical school.
What drew you to Family Medicine? I was happily accepted into PNWU in 2018 aligning with their mission statement of educating future primary care doctors who wish to serve in rural/underserved areas. Family medicine practice was where my goals aligned but I had no true structure or experience that my decision stood on. I knew medicine was my career goal and that working in a rural area, like where I grew up, was where I wanted to end up. The story above though is what solidified my decision. The interpersonal relationships, the trust, and the full-scope practice is how I see myself practicing family medicine.
Anything else you want people to know about you? Just as I have many interests in medicine, choosing such a wide scope of practice like family medicine, I also have many interests outside of medicine too! I enjoy gardening, reading, I can juggle pins (I even have a flaming set!), and I love to learn new things on Youtube! My most recent Youtube DIY project was building a storage cabinet for our guest room. Lots of mistakes made but so many new skills learned.