Talk With A Rural Doc Series

Everything you wanted to know about practicing rural medicine,
but never had the opportunity to ask.

Wendy Haack, DO

“My life’s choices and experiences did not follow the traditional track to medical school but rather followed a path of continuing education and experience that had a common thread of being health care centered. This path led me from the home farm in a small rural Montana community where there was always a need for quality health care to the study of, and a degree in, community health and health education. This grew into nursing as both a trauma nurse and ICU critical care specialist. Later, a Master’s degree in nursing allowed me to teach nursing at both the community college and University levels. Being a flight nurse, as well as teaching EMS first responders was also part of this path. Finding myself at a cross roads, I had to choose between either the academic road or the road of direct patient care. I chose my first love patient care and completed a Family Nurse Practitioner Program at the University of Washington. This was followed by 4 years as an Independent Nurse Practitioner in a small rural community in Eastern Oregon where I was often the only provider within a 50 mile radius responsible for the medical care in a small hospital, clinic and nursing home. It was a challenging and wonderful experience that taught me a lot and showed me that I could make a real difference. It also showed me that I could increase my value to my patients by becoming a physician. Toward this end, I moved to Portland and continued working independently as a Nurse Practitioner within a cardiology specialty and began to prepare for medical school. Though I am not a cardiologist, my years working and being taught and mentored by excellent cardiologists has given me a strong cardiac knowledge base and skills, which I now bring to my practice. Because I wanted to diagnose, treat and care for the adult patient in a holistic manner I chose to become an Osteopathic doctor (D.O) specializing in Internal medicine. I applied and was accepted at Des Moines University Osteopathic Medical School in Iowa where I graduated with honors. I completed my Residency in Internal Medicine at Emanuel and Good Samaritan hospitals in Portland where my interest in diagnosing, treating and caring for the seriously ill patient in the intensive care unit grew along with my desire to continue to work both in a hospital and clinic setting. Now, I look forward to serving the North Bend / Coos Bay and surrounding communities working to build my practice here at the Bay Clinic and follow up on my patients at Bay Area Hospital.”