Montana WWAMI PreMed Summit 2026

See Montana WWAMI Cohort timeline/schematic

See Montana TRUST Cohort timeline/schematic

Medical residency is post-graduate training after completion of medical school.  Residency provides more focused, in-depth training in one area of medicine

Before graduating medical school, typically between third and fourth year, most students research and apply to residency programs in their chosen specialty area. Residencies vary in length from 3-7 years depending on the specialty area. Below are several residency options, although there are more that could be added:

Three-Year Residencies:

Internal Medicine

Family Medicine

Pediatrics

Emergency Medicine

 

Four-Year Residencies:

Obstetrics-Gynecology

Psychiatry

Neurology

Dermatology

Ophthalmology

 

Five-Year Residencies:

General Surgery 5 years

Urology 5 years

 

Greater than Five-Year Residencies:

Neurosurgery 7 years

 

Additional helpful links for more information about residency:

https://students-residents.aamc.org/premed-navigator/whats-journey-residency

https://sites.uw.edu/uwgme/prospective-residents-and-fellows/

https://www.ama-assn.org/medical-students/preparing-residency/which-factors-do-applicants-weigh-most-when-picking-residency

Job-shadowing will give you a better understanding of what a doctor's typical day is like, allows you to get a clear sense of what it’s like to be a practicing physician, and gives you good experience to talk about in your applications and interviews for medical school. It's also a great way to gain familiarity with different specialties and medical environments. For this reason, many medical schools across the U.S. have a minimum requirement for shadowing hours. This may vary widely; some schools require 12–24 hours, while others require more than 75 hours. WWAMI sits in the middle with a strong recommendation of at least 40 hours.

 

If you don’t already have a personal connection with a physician, we can usually assist with making those connections, if you have flexibility in scheduling, locations, preferred specialties, etc. Feel free to reach out to the below contacts for assistance:

 

Ali McInnis, Montana WWAMI TRUST Assistant   

alij@uw.edu or (208) 699-4134  

Rural shadowing opportunities available. 

 

Liz Kelsey, UM Pre-Med Job Shadow Program Manager

 elizabeth.kelsey@umontana.eduor (406) 243-4763  

 Robotic shadowing and/or webinar-based shadowing also available.

See below for a few suggested current event topics to be up to date on when interviewing for medical school (Note-this is not a complete list):

 

1. COVID-19 and Effects on Health & Society
2. Vaccinations
3. United States Health Insurance and Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare)
1. Cost of healthcare versus outcomes in the US and other developed nations
4. Mental Health & Physician Burnout
5. Gun Violence & Mass Shootings
6. Abortion & Contraception
7. Cultural Curiosity in Patient Care and Diversity in Healthcare
8. End-of-Life Care
9. Opiod Crisis
10. Artificial Intelligence & Applications to Healthcare
11. Differences in health care outcomes based on socioeconomic status

 

Locations to look for up-to-date articles and information include:

New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM)

Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA)

Annals of Internal Medicine

New York Times

Washington Post

Wall Street Journal

• Montana American Indian Post Baccalaureate Program brochure

• Drew Babcock, American Indian Outreach & Project Coordinator
  • Family Medicine Residency of Western Montana
  • Missoula, Montana
  • drew.babcock@mso.umt.edu

• Visit the University of Washington’s Center for Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (CEDI) website 
• Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP)
  • SHPEP is a FREE six-week transformative summer experience for college freshman and sophomore students interested in the health professions. The program offers opportunities to explore health careers, including dentistry, medicine, nursing, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, and public health. SHPEP scholars have a legacy of success: over 65% of scholars who apply to medical and dental schools are accepted.