“As in any rural community, the family practice here at Orcas Medical Center has to be ready to address a wide range of medical issues,” said Cortney Boulton, a second-year University of Washington medical student who is nearing the end of a month-long study program on Orcas Island. “I’ve really learned a lot by just observing Dr. Giefer’s way of listening to patients carefully and understanding their needs.”

Cortney is here as part of the Rural/Underserved Opportunities Program (R/UOP), in which Orcas Medical Center participates with the University of Washington School of Medicine. The program is a four-week immersion experience in community medicine for students between their first and second years of medical school. Students live in rural or urban underserved communities throughout Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho. They work side-by-side with local physicians providing health care to underserved populations.

Cortney grew up in the rural communities of Sequim and Matlock, Wash. She earned her BA with honors in biochemistry at Wellesley College. Upon graduation, she worked at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle for two years. She just completed her first year at the UW School of Medicine.

Dr. Giefer enjoys participating in the UW program. His background includes years of teaching the practice of family medicine with the Mayo Clinic and University of Minnesota. He believes that experienced family physicians have a responsibility to help educate future doctors. “Also,” he added, “having them around keeps us all on our toes.”