How Wyoming Is Bringing Doctors Back Home — And Keeping Them

A 30-year program is keeping Wyoming doctors in the Cowboy State, retaining up to 80% of its graduates. For a state that consistently ranks among the lowest in the nation for physicians per capita, that is a huge step forward. Mason Stillman, a high school student from Gillette who never doubted he wanted to become a physician, is now back in his hometown practicing psychiatry at Campbell County Health. He credits the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho (WWAMI) program with keeping him in Wyoming.

WWAMI is a five-state medical education partnership that has become a key pipeline for the state. About two-thirds of graduates return to Wyoming after residency, and roughly 80% of those stay long-term. In Wyoming, graduates agree to practice for at least three continuous years in exchange for repayment of about 75% of their tuition. Stillman remembers being on the fence about where he would practice. Part of him hoped to stay home, close to family and friends, but another part had a strong urge to explore the wider world. WWAMI ultimately allowed him to do both. He got to explore other places during medical school in Washington and other WWAMI states, then returned home for a practice where he knows he is doing vitally important work.