I am writing this from Soldotna, where I am wrapping up a really great month here. This is a great rotation, which I would sum up as a superb and unique primary care experience with plenty of time to explore one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Clinically you work primarily with Dr. John Bramante, a former UW resident and chief, and see patients with him at a private group practice affiliated with the major hospital for the Kenai Peninsula. He is great to work with, and extremely knowledgeable and supportive. Because this is a rural site with limited access to specialists, you get to manage a very wide range of medical conditions and often patients are referred from PAs/NPs or family medicine doctors with interesting problems or diagnoses. There are also plenty of people with bread and  butter medical issues who are presenting for their annual visit and need someone to work with them on their DM, HTN, CAD, etc and tweak their medicines. The best part is that the schedule is set up so that you can usually take your time to really talk to the patients to get to know them a bit and do good counseling and education.

The hours are very reasonable and flexible, leaving lots of time to explore. My month here has been in September, and the days are still really long. On the weekends I went to nearby Homer (1st picture), kayaked to and hiked on a glacier (2nd picture), went white water rafting on class IV and V rapids, and did lots of superb hikes. The third picture below is of a beach that is 20 minutes from the apartment here, and on nice days the sunsets are amazing and there are firepits to have bonfires.

This is a special place with really good doctors, warm and welcoming people, and stunning scenery. Check it out!