Testimonials

We met at the College of Human Medicine and got to know each other more during our time in the Leadership in Rural Medicine program at Traverse City and we were married shortly after graduation. Our time in LRM prepared us well for our current careers in rural medicine because of the exposure to the unique challenges of rural medicine, a preview of a career in a rural setting, and the opportunity to work closely with mentors.

Transitioning from the LRM program to residency we were fortunate to be aware of the questions we needed to ask and skills we needed to learn to be able to successfully practice in a rural community. Having just completed residency and relocated to rural Roseburg, Oregon we are excited to start our careers as rural medicine physicians. And during residency we expanded the family that was started in Traverse City in the LRM program! 

Jordan Lippincott, MD
Emergency Medicine Physician

Elise Lippincott, MD
Pediatrician

As someone who was born and raised in rural Northern Michigan, the Leadership in Rural Medicine program enabled me to care for the underserved patients that I've always held close to my heart. The opportunity to be a part of the local community, while learning under the supervision of phenomenal physicians, was incredible. The individuals (physicians, nurses, OR staff, medical assistants and many more) that I worked with made me feel like a valued member of the team and the passion for their work was unmatched. Those clinical exposures led me to a career in women's health, which is a chronically underserved speciality, especially in rural areas. Once I complete my fellowship training, I will be joining a practice in western Michigan, where a large portion of the referral base is from rural, underserved locations. The LRM program and my clinical experiences during that time helped me to become the surgeon that I am today. 

Hope Bauer, MD
Urogynecology Fellow

The Leadership in Rural Medicine program allowed me the opportunity to interact with orthopedic attendings in a 1-on-1 fashion. This experience helped me grow as a student, a surgeon, and allowed me to hit the ground running when starting orthopedic residency. 

Zachary Jodoin, MD
Orthopedic Surgery Resident, PGY-3

The excellent clinical experience with all walks of like in the Leadership in Rural Medicine program made a world of difference for me. Even being a COVID grad, my clinical skills and experience were way ahead of my peers starting residency. I always knew I wanted to do community medicine, but the experience with LRM made me comfortable stepping away from the support of a big academic center into the small community hospital I now work at. I started moonlighting there in my 3rd year of residency. I'm at a single coverage 15 bed ER, and at night I'm usually the only physician in the hospital. I'm (relatively) comfortable in nearly any situation and the community seems to love the story of how I landed here. 

Mikalah Ward, MD
Attending Physician, Emergency Medicine

The Leadership in Rural Medicine program gave me valuable insight into the dynamics of rural practice. I am able to better understand how patients are filtered through the healthcare system and what social, economic and demographic barriers exist in these patient populations as a healthcare provider. I am incredibly grateful for my LRM mentors who helped me succeed and change career trajectories throughout my journey even after I graduated medical school.

Allison Brown, MD
PGY-3 General Surgery Resident

The Leadership in Rural Medicine program was my favorite part of medical school because rural Michigan is a great place to practice medicine. LRM prepares students exceptionally well for residency in any specialty and in any setting because it provides an opportunity to get incredible real-world experience. LRM challenged me in a supportive environment, where I knew the focus was on my learning and skill development. I grew in confidence because I was a valued part of the medical teams on which I served. I loved working 1:1 with my attendings as a medical student and learned so much from them about how to manage complex medical and social challenges with creativity, compassion, and skill. I saw the impact of physicians not only on their patients and clinical settings, but also their impact on hospitals and communities through direct leadership and advocacy. If given the chance to repeat my time at the College of Human Medicine, participating in LRM would be my top priority, I highly recommend it!

Shelby Owens, MD
Family Physician at Muskegon Family Care