Medical residency programs may be relatively new to Samaritan, but educating students for careers in health care isn’t.  As a family physician, Dr. Rick Wopat has spent more than 30 years caring for patients in Lebanon, Ore. And for most of those years, he’s taught students on their paths to careers in medicine.

“We’ve long been part of Oregon’s AHEC (Area Health Education Centers) Program, in partnership with OHSU,” says Dr. Wopat. “We’ve hosted students pursuing medical careers for years and will continue to do so. Our partnerships with OHSU, Linn-Benton Community College, Chemeketa Community College, and now WesternU, are strong and very beneficial for our communities.”

Dr. Wopat cites numerous benefits of having medical students in the organization, including effects on patient care.

“Anytime you create an environment of learning and education, you improve the quality of care,” says Dr. Wopat. “There are thoughtful and open discussions. I learn when I teach – it challenges me to stay up-to-date with the latest research and practices.”

On a personal level, Dr. Wopat enjoys the relationships he develops with his students and is proud when they return to the area to practice medicine – in part due to the good experiences they had while training.

He also notes tremendous benefit in the construction of a new medical campus and medical school in Lebanon.

“We have a wonderful opportunity to create new models of how we provide care – especially primary care,” says Dr. Wopat. “The new campus can be a leader in of medicine in the 21st century. We are building from scratch, meaning that the technology will be state-of-the-art, which is where medicine and how we communicate with patients is heading.”