Archive

Abigail Allman, MD

Boise Program

University of Kansas School of Medicine

Abby is a born and bred Midwesterner, growing up in Kansas before hopping over the state border to attend the University of Missouri- Kansas City where she majored in Biology. Her two highlights of college are studying Art History abroad in Florence, Italy and volunteering at JayDoc Free Clinic as a social services intern. As an undergraduate volunteer, she assisted patients with connecting to community resources focused on addressing social determinants of health. She was directly exposed to the health inequities facing underserved communities and realized this is the population of patients she wished to serve in her future practice. Abby then remained in Kansas City to attend the University of Kansas School of Medicine where she continued to serve at JayDoc, but now on the executive board.

Her experience with free clinics helped her decide to pursue full-spectrum family medicine to not only care for individuals, but whole communities. She loves family medicine for the opportunity to foster long-term relationships, provide holistic care in any setting, and create safe environments for people to share sacred health information. Her professional interests are in women’s and children’s health, obstetrics, advocacy, and public health. She is supremely joyful to be joining the Full Circle Health family!

Abby and her husband, Sam, love to be outdoors so they are thrilled to be in Boise to explore, hike, camp, bike, ski, and adventure in Idaho-at-large. Individually, she is continually adding new hobbies to her repertoire, but steadfast favorites include reading, crocheting, cooking, baking, and convincing her cats to snuggle with her.

Alexandra Beattie, MD

Boise Program

University of Queensland

Hey! I’m Alex. I grew up in the Green Mountain State with my four younger siblings and attended the University of Vermont for my undergraduate and master’s degrees.   I then moved out to Jackson, WY, and travelled around India for a bit before heading back to Vermont to work as a medical assistant in a Dermatology office. After working with an amazing dermatology team for a couple years, I decided to hop across the pond(s) to study medicine at the University of Queensland. 

My first two years of school were completed in Brisbane, Queensland, a growing city in Eastern Australia, about an hour inland from some glorious beaches and national parks. My third and fourth years of med school brought me back to the States, to complete clinical rotations in New Orleans, LA.  As much as I will miss those INCREDIBLE, salty, buttery, southern biscuits, I am so excited to be back in the western mountains for my family medicine training with the Full Circle Health.  

I’m interested in full-spectrum rural/underserved medicine, with a particular interest in public health, social justice, teaching, and mentoring.  Outside medicine, I cherish time with my loved ones and enjoy getting after some skiing, hiking, running, biking, camping, traveling, or painting when I get the chance! 

Emily Dickerson, MD

Boise Program

University of Washington School of Medicine

Emily has deep Idaho roots, born and raised in Nampa, Idaho, attending high school and college in Caldwell. She played soccer for the College of Idaho (Go Yotes!), where she fell in love with the sciences, majored in Biology, and spoke a lot of Spanish. She spent two summers working as a pre-med intern at the Salmon River Clinic in Stanley, ID, an experience that impressed upon her the importance of rural medicine and the joy of family practice. A passion for nutrition and foundational health led her to pursue her doctorate in naturopathic medicine at Bastyr University in Seattle, WA. After a handful of years in practice as a naturopathic physician, Emily sought out conventional medical school with the intent of reaching a broader patient population and being part of the answer to the physician shortage in the state of Idaho.

She completed her medical education with the University of Washington School of Medicine through the Idaho WWAMI program, which sent her throughout Idaho and the greater WWAMI region to train. All of her clinical rotations were exciting, interesting and fun, though she found the most fulfillment in family medicine. Emily finds great satisfaction in the diversity of practice and the longitudinal relationships of family medicine. She believes that good medicine is not only in the knowledge that a physician offers, but also in the relationships, the ability to connect, counsel, educate, and collaborate.

Within medicine, Emily has many interests, which makes family medicine a perfect fit! Now a 3rd year resident and fully immersed in the broad training that Full Circle Health has to offer, Emily has cultivated her passion for full spectrum family medicine with obstetrics. She cares deeply about reaching medically underserved populations and treating the whole person.

Outside of medicine, Emily spends her time exploring local mountains and rivers with her spouse Dusty, their toddler Sage and their dogs. Together they whitewater kayak, ski, trail run, mountain bike, and grow a giant urban garden.

Emily Fitzgerald, MD

Boise Program

University of Washington School of Medicine

Hi! I’m Emily.
I grew up on an island in Southeast Alaska in a town called Ketchikan with the Pacific Ocean and the Tongass National Rainforest in my backyard. For perspective, we measured our annual precipitation not in inches a year but in feet. For those of you that have read Dune, Boise in comparison feels like Arrakis. My partner, Nathan Ord, teases me that I must be part Fremen. During my undergraduate years I split my time studying philosophy at the University of Washington and commercial fishing for Salmon off the coast of Southeast Alaska. I traded cell phone coverage for wild mountains and waterways, grocery store produce for salmon and fern tips, and the easy access to services urban Seattle life afforded me with closely knit communities of small fishing towns. I loved every minute of it.

In small town Alaska, medicine is no different. Family doctors are the clinicians, hospitalists, ER docs, laborists, proceduralists, and intensivists. During my family medicine rotation in Sitka, I assisted on a c-section, assessed the neonate still covered in amniotic fluid and then returned to help sew up the mother. I diagnosed a patient with Grave’s Disease, set fractures, and med-evac’d a patient with ascending cholangitis to Anchorage. On a typical day we prescribed immunomodulators and vasopressors in the ER, discussed meditation apps and intermittent fasting, cared for young and old. Conversations on lifestyle, healthy movement and nutrition were given equal importance as the emergencies that neglecting them can lead to. It is this appreciation for preventive medicine, ability to provide truly comprehensive care, and establishing deep patient connections that drew me to family medicine. 

I am excited to be training at a program that will provide me with the full spectrum training practicing family medicine in Alaska requires so that I can give back to the wild places and the salt of the earth kind of people I have found there. In the meantime, Nathan and I are enjoying meeting new friends in Boise and exploring all the wilds places Idaho has to offer with our eight-month-old Australian Shepard puppy Tikka!

Sarah Hershman, MD

Boise Program

University of Colorado School of Medicine

Sarah Hershman was born and raised in Colorado—she grew up in the small rural town of Elizabeth. She attended the University of Colorado in Boulder, where she received a bachelor’s degree in Integrative Physiology. Between college and medical school, Sarah worked as a medical assistant at a Dermatology clinic in Boulder.  

Sarah earned her Medical and Master of Public Health degrees as a combined MD/MPH student at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Sarah is passionate about behavioral health, suicide prevention, advocacy, and working with rural and underserved communities. She is thrilled to join Full Circle Health—a program where the broad-spectrum training is excellent, and the people are even better.  

In her free time, you can find Sarah exploring the outdoors with her scruffy trail buddy Mack (a crotchety corgi mix with a heart of gold). Be it hiking, skiing, biking, snowshoeing, or climbing—as long as she is outside, she’s happy. 

Neil Liotta, MD

Boise Program

University of Washington School of Medicine

I am from Anchorage, AK where I grew up roaming the hills, fly fishing, and trying to make it as a competitive Nordic ski racer. I did my undergraduate work at Montana State University in Bozeman, MT. There, the drive for ski racing transitioned to a love for the mountains and the Intermountain West. Later, while working as a commercial salmon fisherman in Dillingham, AK, I fell in love with the unique lifestyle that exists in rural Alaska.

This experience also led to an interest in the healthcare disparities that exist in rural Alaska and inspired a career in rural medicine via the University of Washington. My time at UW further cemented my interest in rural medicine and especially Family Medicine. Family docs have a varied skillset and broad training that allows them to be plopped down almost anywhere in the world to meet the needs of their community.

FMRI has been an amazing training program for Family Medicine. We work hard, and I think out residents are well trained for rural medicine. My fiancé, Alli and I are hoping to move back up to rural Alaska on graduating; location TBD.

Sarah Maze, MD

Boise Program

University of Washington School of Medicine

Howdy, I’m Sarah! I grew up in rural Wyoming in the foothills of the Big Horn Mountains. There I developed a love of living things in all forms and experienced the beauty and value of strong community relationships.

For my undergraduate education, I attended the University of Wyoming (go Pokes!) where I earned degrees in Physiology and Spanish, worked as a campus tour guide, explored the Snowy Range Mountains, and worked with my first patients—Bengalese finches—while conducting neuroscience research. I had the opportunity to study abroad in Argentina and fuel my passion for service of rural communities in remote Honduras and Panama.

I completed my medical training at the University of Washington in the Wyoming WWAMI cohort, during which I spent time in Laramie, WY; Seattle, WA; and everywhere in between. Working in the Wind River Indian Reservation and Lander, WY during my clinical training solidified my desire to create lasting therapeutic relationships with my future patients through the pursuit of full-spectrum family medicine. I also spent two months in Dhulikhel, Nepal partnering with community members and healthcare workers to create and implement a gestational diabetes education program in their local community hospital and remote outreach clinics.

My clinical interests include women’s health and obstetrics, full-spectrum rural family medicine, preventative medicine, and global health. I am thrilled to join the Full Circle Health team!

Outside of medicine, I enjoy fly fishing and backpacking with my husband, Ian, pick up volleyball games, playing piano, and exploring our new home of Boise by sampling local food and biking.

Tyler McChane, MD

Boise Program

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Tyler comes to us from Louisville, Kentucky. He studied economics at the University of Louisville, then went to Baku to study Azerbaijan on a Critical Language Scholarship. Before attending Mount Sinai, Tyler worked in Direct Support for individuals with intellectual disabilities and helped to establish the Family Community Clinic, a free clinic in Louisville where he served six years as the volunteer coordinator.

Working at the clinic changed Tyler’s perspective on medicine and convinced him to return to school. After finishing Louisville’s post-bacc pre-med program, he moved on to Mount Sinai. Here at Mount Sinai, Tyler has participated in the Primary Care Scholars Program and InterACT primary care clerkship, Students for a National Health Program, and the New York State Academy of Family Physicians. His research interests include disparities in health and healthcare delivery experienced by homeless individuals.

He would like to thank his family and his partner Lindsey (and two precious dogs) for their endless support over the last 7 years, as well as his PBPMP, FCC, DWW, and PCSP families – you know who you are! He is thrilled to be continuing his residency training at the Full Circle Health in Boise. Initial impressions of Full Circle Health and life in Boise: hands down without a doubt the coolest, most inspirational bunch of people that Tyler’s ever met!

Michaela Frey, MD

Boise Program

Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine

Michaela is a proud Oregonian, born in Portland and raised in Bend. Since childhood, it has been Michaela’s goal to become a family physician serving rural communities. She studied bioengineering at Oregon State University and completed medical school at Oregon Health & Sciences University (OHSU). In her undergraduate years, Michaela became a public advocate for Indigenous health and Native peoples in higher education. At OHSU, she founded and served as president of the OHSU chapter of the Association of Native American Medical Students (ANAMS) in addition to mentoring Indigenous youth about pursuing careers in medicine. Michaela’s training as an Oregon Area Health Education Centers Rural Scholar has helped build her knowledge base regarding rural health care. She is particularly passionate about behavioral health, obstetric care, and Integrative Medicine. A descendent of the Choctaw and Mojave tribes, she is also invested in the holistic health of Indigenous and underserved populations.

In her free time, Michaela is an outdoor enthusiast and is always excited for a new adventure. She can be found hiking, camping, hunting, riding horses (or Harleys), and skiing, usually with her husband Randy. She is also surprisingly good at cornhole. On inside days, she enjoys playing cello and cooking. She is grateful for the opportunity to join the Full Circle Health in Boise and excited for the adventure ahead!

Megan Schwehr, MD

Boise Program

University of Washington School of Medicine

Megan Schwehr was born in Boise and raised in Star, Idaho. She loved growing up in a small rural town and came to appreciate the sense of community it fostered. When she wasn’t playing soccer, she spent her weekends camping, boating, hiking, snow skiing, and exploring the beautiful Idaho backcountry. During high school Megan participated in the sports medicine program and realized she had a passion for human anatomy and medicine. She went on to complete her undergraduate studies in biochemistry and molecular biology at Linfield College (now Linfield University) in McMinnville, OR, knowing that her ultimate goal was medical school. While at Linfield she helped start a research lab that used zebrafish as a model for human anatomy, and has enjoyed watching this project grow and progress over the years.

Given her passion for medicine and love of rural communities, Megan attended the University of Washington School of Medicine as a TRUST (Targeted Rural and Underserved Track) scholar. Through this program she completed a longitudinal training experience in McCall, Idaho, and gained a greater appreciation for rural medicine. Her experiences with the family physicians there inspired Megan to pursue a career in full-scope family medicine which will include ED shifts, inpatient coverage, and surgical obstetrics. She decided to return to Boise for her residency training and give back to the community that helped support her, and is thrilled to become a part of the Full Circle Health family. Her professional interests include rural/underserved populations, healthcare advocacy, obstetrics, and behavioral health.

When she isn’t working Megan enjoys spending time outdoors with her parents (Patty and Ed), brothers (Trevor and Devin) and other family friends in the area. She can often be found camping in McCall, hiking in the Sawtooths, boating on Lake Cascade, or skiing at Bogus Basin or Brundage. She also enjoys lazy mornings spent watching the Great British Baking Show with her cat, Ember.