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Family Medicine Residency of Idaho

Magic Valley Residency


South Central Idaho, commonly known as the “Magic Valley” due to the phenomenal growth of crops, is now also “magic” due to the medical community and the extremely broad training offered here. Residents will become a member of the physician team serving the rural community of Jerome while having the benefit of rotations with specialists in the referral community of Twin Falls, located only 15 miles away. The flexibility and adaptation of this program to both the professional and personal needs of the residents is aimed to achieve the balance necessary to create patient oriented, well-prepared, fulfilled family physicians. Our program offers training in maternity care and medical/surgical procedures.

The Magic Valley Rural Program began in 2009 and is now graduating two residents per year. Residents will complete their three years of training in Magic Valley (about 120 miles east of Boise). All graduates are successfully board certified and our graduates practice in diverse settings, including rural and international settings. Medical students interested in the Magic Valley RTT program must submit an application through ERAS.

Curriculum

PGY-1 Magic Valley (1-2) half days per week, 1st 6 months (2) half days per week, 2nd 6 months 3-6 patients per half day
RotationWeeksLocation
Medicine8/8St. Luke's Magic Valley
Pediatrics12St. Luke's Magic Valley & Treasure Valley
Obstetrics8St. Luke's Magic Valley
Surgery4St. Luke's Magic Valley
AFM/GYN4Office
Geri/Derm2/2Office
NICU/Rural2/2St. Luke's/Twin Falls

PGY-2 Magic Valley (2) half days per week, 8-10 patients per half day
RotationWeeksLocation
Medicine8St. Luke's Magic Valley
Pediatrics4St. Luke's Magic Valley
OB8St. Luke's Magic Valley
Rad/Derm2/2Office
CM/AFM4Office
ER4St. Luke's Magic Valley
Ortho4Office
Card/CCU4St. Luke's Magic Valley
Elective4Office
Surgery4St. Luke's Magic Valley
Rural4Away

PGY-3 Magic Valley (1) half days per week, 10-12 patients per half day
RotationWeeksLocation
Medicine8St. Luke's Magic Valley
Pediatrics4St. Luke's Magic Valley
Obstetrics8St. Luke's Magic Valley
ER4Office
Sports Medicine4Office
ICU4St. Luke's Magic Valley
FM/ENT2/2Office
Uro/Ophtho4Office
Elective12Office
Didactics Noon Conference Schedule

  • Tumor Board: A time spent reviewing current cases with the surgeons, primary doctors, radiologists, pathologists, and oncologists (provides great education in cancer screening, presentation, treatment, monitoring as well as rdiology and pathology review).
  • Noon Conferences: Weekly.
  • Journal Club: Monthly.
  • ACGME (Televideo): Outside medical experts from varying fields are brought in to present the latest information and research on their topic to the entire medical community for continuing medical education.
  • Physician Lectures: Weekly primary care and OB lectures.

Other Didactics

  • Monthly Half Day Conference: Fourth Thursday of every four week block covering OB/Gyn procedures, Sports Medicine, Geriatrics, etc.

Faculty

Joshua Kern, MD

Program Director

Dr. Joshua Kern graduated from the University of Washington School of Medicine in 2005. He did his residency training at the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho and finished in 2008, where he was one of the chief residents from 2007-2008. His medical interests include chronic disease management, obesity, and procedures including colonoscopy and colposcopies. He became site director in 2012 and did the National Institute for Program Director Development Fellowship in 2012.   Along with his clinical work in Jerome and working with the residents he is Vice President of Medical Affairs for St. Luke’s Health System, East Region.  In his spare time he spends time with his wife and three children and trains for Spartan races.

Nicole Ruske, MD

Associate Program Director - Magic Valley RTT

Medical school: Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Current job: Outpatient, inpatient and operative obstetrical family medicine in Jerome, ID

Jim Irwin, MD

Assistant Site Director

Dr. Jim Irwin graduated from the University of Utah in 1980 and did his residency in Family Medicine at the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho in Boise. He has served as an auxiliary faculty member with the University of Washington since 1983 and a clinical faculty member with Idaho State University for many years. He is currently a Clinical Associate Professor with the University of Washington and Director of the Continuity Clinic for the Magic Valley Rural Training Track in Jerome Idaho. He is a recent recipient of the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho Alumni Community Service Award. Dr. Irwin is also Jerome Citizen of the Year for 2010. He maintains a busy office practice in Jerome as well as serving as a Medical Consultant for the Regional Child Development Center. Dr. Irwin loves the full spectrum of family medicine—from obstetrics and babies through complicated internal medicine and into old age. He is especially interested in evidence based medicine, including alternative therapies to the optimal care of each individual. Dr. Irwin is actively involved in keeping our environment healthy. He has been instrumental in organizing cleanup for the Snake River Canyon between Centennial Park and Pillar Falls for the past 15 years. He has helped numerous Boy Scouts achieve their Eagle Scout award through involvement with cleanup efforts and other projects such as wood duck boxes. He and his wife, Lorna, have been married for more than 38 years and have 3 children, a profoundly deaf daughter in graduate school and 2 sons completing college. His non-medical interests include hiking, hunting, fly fishing, photography, scuba diving, and playing with his “gorgeous” mules. He was recently chosen as the Idaho Academy of Family Physicians’ Physician of the Year for 2011.

Steven Kohtz, MD

Magic Valley RTT Faculty

Steven was born in Twin Falls, Idaho as the 3rd-generation to be raised in agricultural Southern Idaho. Attending the University of Idaho he met his future wife, Elizabeth, who was to become a dairy veterinarian with the plan to move back to Twin Falls in the dairy heart of Idaho. After graduating AOA from Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Steven worked his way to the Chief Resident position at the Kaiser Permanente Fontana Family Medicine Residency. After graduating in 2008 and moving back to Twin Falls, he began a full-time Family Medicine practice while initiating involvement in management of his large, multispecialty primary care practice and attending Idaho Medical Association events. Steven became his practice’s President for 2 years followed by transitioning to an employed position within St. Luke’s Health System where he acts as a Division Medical Director for Primary Care in Magic Valley and Jerome, serves on the Board of the St. Luke’s Health Partners Network, and Chairs multiple committees aimed at governing St. Luke’s transition from volume to value. Steven also serves on the Idaho Medical Association Board of Trustees. Elizabeth and Steven have 2 wonderful daughters, Arabella (6) and Josephine (4) and enjoy hiking, biking, and camping as a family. Currently Steven is working his way up the Idaho Centennial Trail in small increments with his brother and father, the 100-miles from Nevada to Hammet completed this spring.

Rick Sandison, MD

Magic Valley RTT Faculty

Dr. Sandison graduated from the University of California, Davis School of Medicine in 1989. He completed his internship in Family Medicine and Community Health at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, where he was awarded “First Year Resident of the Year.” Following internship he worked in Africa for one year in a Presbyterian Church of East Africa Mission Hospital in Chogoria, Kenya. He returned to complete his Family Medicine residency at the University of Iowa. He has worked as a Family Physician in Twin Falls, Idaho continuously since 1993, with the exception of a sabbatical in 2008 and 2009, during which time he worked in a mission clinic in Ecuador. He has also lived in Mexico and Costa Rica. He was a cofounder of the Mustard Tree Free Medical Clinic in Twin Falls. His hobbies include running, cycling, swimming, triathlon, snowboarding, backpacking, and reading. He has ridden his bicycle across the United States. His most prominent fitness interest is ultra endurance sports with events completed including the Vermont 100-Mile Endurance Run, the Grand Teton 100-Mile Endurance Run, and the Big Horn 100-Mile Endurance Run.

Current Residents

R3

Anthony Markuson, MD

Magic Valley Program 2021

Anthony grew up on the family farm near Chester, Montana. He attended Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA. Upon stepping on the campus, he felt right at home, found a group of lifelong friends, earned a degree in Biology, and studied abroad in Botswana along with a few other places. After graduating, he moved to Baltimore, MD for a year of service at the Don Miller Houses. A plethora of opportunities, including shadowing a Family Physician in his hometown, lead him to understand that practicing medicine is his vocation.

He matriculated at the University of Washington School of Medicine as a Targeted Rural Underserved Scholar. This program allowed him to spend time in Lewistown, MT throughout various stages of his schooling. Service learning was an essential component, and he enjoying working with vulnerable populations including LGBTQ, underserved, HIV+, and those suffering from homelessness. His mentors insisted he “check out FMRI’ as a potential residency program.

Early on, Anthony understood FMRI would train him extremely well to serve his future community. He is extraordinarily enthused that he matched with the Magic Valley Rural Training Track and looks forward to joining the Boise, Twin Falls, and Jerome communities in the coming years.

When not working, Anthony enjoys spending time with his dog Cooper, skiing, biking, kayaking, rock climbing, running, fly fishing, scuba diving, and camping as much as possible!

 

Luke Sugden, DO

Magic Valley Program 2021

Luke was born and raised in the heart of the Magic Valley in Jerome, Idaho. At the time; Jerome was a single stoplight, agricultural community with a small critical access hospital staffed entirely by family physicians. His mother being one of them. Growing up watching the impact she had on the small community was the genesis of his interest in rural family medicine. After many summers playing in the mountains and fields, off he went to Boise State University. There, he majored in microbiology and minored in chemistry, although what he really enjoyed was playing tuba in the Blue Thunder Marching Band! While in Boise he trained as an EMT and joined the Idaho Mountain Search and Rescue Unit. This allowed him to blend his love of the wilderness with his love of medicine. After graduation it was off to Peru for five months of medical volunteering. There is a dramatic need for primary care in developing countries and this furthered his resolve to become a family physician. Once back, he headed to Colorado to attend medical school at Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine. There he was selected into a Rural and Wilderness Medicine Honors Program, providing additional training for a practice in rural family medicine. He could not feel more privileged to be attending the Magic Valley Rural Training Track. He is excited to be able to return to the community that helped him get started, and be able to give back.  The full scope training offered at the MVRTT will well prepare him for his dream of being a full scope family physician practicing in a small town! When he is not at school he enjoys spending time with his wonderful wife Michelle in the outdoors.

R2

Logan Perkins, DO

Magic Valley Program 2022

Logan grew up in in the small coal mining town of Price, Utah. After graduating from Carbon High School he served a 2 year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to Santiago, Chile. Upon returning home he enrolled at BYU in Provo, Utah where he majored in genetics and biotechnology. While attending BYU he met his wife Anna who grew up in nearby Oakley, Idaho. After BYU, Logan, Anna and their 18 mo daughter Sadie moved to Lynchburg, Virginia for medical school at Liberty University. During his 3rd year of medical school Logan and Anna had their second child, a boy named Sam. Logan and family wanted to move back west for residency to be closer to family and after completing a sub-I during his 4th year they knew it would be the perfect place to continue raising their family. When not at work Logan enjoys spending time with his family, playing and watching sports, and listening to audiobooks.

Victoria Talbutt, MD

Magic Valley Program 2022

Tori Talbutt is happy to be staying in Idaho for her residency training! She was raised in Boise, ID where she attended Capital High School and played soccer, basketball and violin in the chamber orchestra. She then went to Concordia University- Portland on a soccer scholarship where she majored in Biology- Pre-Medical Studies. During her time learning and playing at Concordia, she was honored to earn All-American accolades as a goalkeeper for her soccer team, and the Champions of Character award for her work with the Lutheran Malaria Project. Following graduation from college she remained in Portland for two years working as a scribe and learning more about medicine.

Tori matriculated into the University of Washington- Idaho WWAMI program in 2015 and was able to return to her home state to train in Moscow, Idaho for 2 years followed by 2 years of training in Boise, Pocatello, and Idaho Falls. During her time in medical school she developed a love for women’s health, obstetrics, pediatrics, and providing care to the underserved members of her community. She also took the chance to spend a summer in Peru learning some Spanish.

In her spare time, Tori continues to enjoy playing soccer, but has also picked up running, skiing, mountain biking, and any sport she can find to stay active and enjoy the outdoors. She is excited to get the chance to train in the Magic Valley and get to know her new community. She is joined in Twin Falls by her dog, Sophie, and intermittently by her partner Magnum Kincaid who lives full-time in Boise.

R1

Jameson Bastow, DO

Magic Valley Program 2023

Dr. Jameson Bastow & Family

Jameson Bastow is so excited and humbled to be back home! He was born at the old Magic Valley Regional Medical Center on Martin Street. He is proud to be an alumnus of Idaho schools, including I.B. Perrine, Robert Stuart, Twin Falls High School, CSI, and Idaho State University. He spent his childhood years developing a love for Idaho between his time adventuring with the Boy Scouts and traveling to his grandparents in North Idaho. As a Boy Scout rafting the Middle Fork of the Salmon River and backpacking the White Clouds, Jameson became fascinated with medicine as his fellow scouts and he utilized some of their leaders’ medical training, probably more often than they should have! These experiences also helped him decide on family medicine as a career so he can live wherever he wants and care for adults, teens and children, pregnant mothers, and everyone’s grandma. His plans after residency include completing a surgical obstetrics fellowship then working in an underserved, rural Idaho community.

During high school and his undergraduate years, Jameson was also equally interested in business and computer systems. He graduated from Idaho State earning a Bachelor’s of Business Administration in Computer Information Systems, all the while keeping his sight set on medical school. A pause in his studies to serve a volunteer, two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in central Chile uncovered a deep love for Latin people and their culture. He also enjoyed career experiences at Wells Fargo and Idaho Central Credit Union, including as a loan officer. Finally, his medical education took him to the BBQ capital of the world, Kansas City. Though he loved his time in the Midwest, he longed for the sound of sprinklers and mountains, zero humidity, and normal-sized bugs.

After his mission and at CSI, Jameson met and married his best friend, Becca. She graduated from Jerome High School and shares Jameson’s love for Idaho, especially the Stanley Basin. She earned her Bachelor’s of Music Education and loves to teach voice lessons to children and teens. During medical school they became parents to Ruby and Jimmy. Jameson’s greatest priorities in life are his marriage, his kids, and his faith in Jesus Christ. They all enable him to become a better physician and a better person each day. His ancillary passions are basketball, outdoor adventuring, popcorn, Mexican food, and Dutch oven cooking. His nerdy pursuits include, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Marvel movies, musicals, budgeting, and mobile apps. He is so happy to be able to use Spanish again and welcomes all Spanish-speaking patients too!

FUN FACT: Jameson has had a part-time job through every step of his education. This included cleaning the butcher shop at Swensen’s Markets to running the audiovisual equipment for his medical school class.

Lauren Nesbit, MD

Magic Valley Program 2023

Lauren is a Southern Idaho native, rooted in the outdoor, hardworking culture that lead her to medicine. As a curious kid, she spent her days exploring her corner of the world via horseback or cultivating her love of reading. She stayed tied to her local roots in attending Boise State University where she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and Health Sciences.

After graduation, Lauren enrolled at the University of Washington School of Medicine. Not only does the school have an incredible medical program, it provided the option for Lauren to do much of her training in Idaho, the state she loves and wants to build her practice in. Lauren’s passion for family medicine was birthed and she is focused on providing medical care to families in a rural area. She knew that the Magic Valley was the perfect place for her to begin to build your trust in her medical profession.

When she’s not providing medical care for her patients, Lauren can be found baking or cooking cookbook worthy meals, riding reined cow horses, or adventuring time with her dogs, Finn and Val. Lauren and her partner Travis run cattle, raise horses, run two businesses out of their home and do their best to throw in a few evenings spent fly fishing. She is an intentional and active part of the Magic Valley communities and looks forward to meeting you! 

Resident Life

fmrimagicvalley

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Family Medicine Residency of Idaho’s Magic Valley Rural Training Program. Follow us at #fmridaho

Magic Valley Rural Program

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Dec 20

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This is a historic time. 2020 and the COVID Pandemic have made residency training a new type of hard. But today we celebrate, as our residents receive the gift of science and medical research. #thisisourshot

This is a historic time. 2020 and the COVID Pandemic have made residency training a new type of hard. But today we celebrate, as our residents receive the gift of science and medical research. #thisisourshot ...

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Dec 9

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One of our PGY-3’s exploring Idaho’s early season backcountry POW!

One of our PGY-3’s exploring Idaho’s early season backcountry POW! ...

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Oct 6

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Rural training means doing some self-directed learning! Today’s studies: acid-base.

Rural training means doing some self-directed learning! Today’s studies: acid-base. ...

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Sep 30

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Good morning from St. Luke’s Magic Valley. I’m headed in to get morning report and start my day as a resident on Medicine Service!

Good morning from St. Luke’s Magic Valley. I’m headed in to get morning report and start my day as a resident on Medicine Service! ...

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Sep 30

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Stay tuned: R2 Tori Talbutt will be taking over the account tomorrow to present to you a day in the life on medicine rotation as a magic valley resident! Like and follow to learn more about the life of a resident in the Magic Valley!

Stay tuned: R2 Tori Talbutt will be taking over the account tomorrow to present to you a day in the life on medicine rotation as a magic valley resident! Like and follow to learn more about the life of a resident in the Magic Valley! ...

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Sep 4

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One of our R3 residents teaching the 6 dorsal wrist compartments to the crew!

One of our R3 residents teaching the 6 dorsal wrist compartments to the crew! ...

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Aug 19

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Tori, one of our rocking 2nd year residents, was the primary surgeon for not one, but TWO c/sections today!

Tori, one of our rocking 2nd year residents, was the primary surgeon for not one, but TWO c/sections today! ...

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Jul 25

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A successful half day conference procedural skills advancement!

A successful half day conference procedural skills advancement! ...

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Congratulations to our 2020 Graduates - couldn’t be prouder of these two physicians! One off to OB fellowship and the other to full spectrum practice

Congratulations to our 2020 Graduates - couldn’t be prouder of these two physicians!

One off to OB fellowship and the other to full spectrum practice ...

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May 4

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Sunday afternoon climbing session - a break from the COVID life

Sunday afternoon climbing session - a break from the COVID life ...

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The team of residents in the Magic Valley RTT definitely live by the “work hard, play harder” mantra.  Historically, all of the residents have lived in Twin Falls, which is where the majority of the clinical hours are spent.

When the residents are not fulfilling clinical duties, you will likely find them outside.  The Snake River Canyon offers paddle boarding/kayaking opportunities, fishing, hiking, spelunking, golfing, zip lining, and many local waterfalls to explore.  For rock climbers, there is an indoor gym for year-round opportunities, with Dierkes Lake twenty minutes outside of Twin Falls and the City of Rocks 1.5 hours from Twin Falls.  While at Dierkes, it is worth the few extra miles to drive to Shoshone Falls, or you can take the Snake River by navigating over Pillar Falls with your flotation device of choice.

The Magic Valley offers many opportunities to visit farmers markets or pick your own produce at the College of Southern Idaho’s fields and many other local orchards. This is a great opportunity to get the family outside, and gain access to fresh and affordable produce.

During the fall and winter months, many residents enjoy hunting, downhill and cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. For snow sports, Magic Mountain is one hour south of Twin Falls, or you can go north two hours to reach Sun Valley. After getting some exercise, nothing beats a nice long soak in some of the local hot springs including Miracle Hot Springs, Banbury Hot Springs, 1000 Springs Resort, and may natural non-commercial hot springs.

Favorite local eateries include Twin Beans for crepes and coffee, The Yellow Brick Café for brunch, The Anchor or Scooters for a local brew and burger, Elevation 486 for the views, Rudy’s for wine and cheese nights or to join the local book club, Cloverleaf Creamery in Buhl for ice-cream, and many other eateries. Twin Falls also is now home to two local breweries, Von Schidt’s and Koto, as well as a yearly BrewFest in City Park for those who enjoy an occasional beer. Residents also commonly gather for backyard barbeques and s’mores.

A lot of effort has recently been made to re-vitalize downtown Twin Falls. New events include the Twin Falls Tonight Summer Concert Series where local artists perform, and the whole community turns out to enjoy yummy food truck grub while their children play in the new Centennial Waterfront Park.

We are always seeking new adventures and hope you visit us to see what the Magic Valley has to offer!

Applicants

The application process allows the faculty and residents of the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho – Magic Valley Rural Program to thoroughly review each applicant’s credentials prior to extending an invitation to interview. Applications will only be accepted through the ERAS system.  The Magic Valley Rural Program is a separate ERAS application process and match from all other FMRI programs. Interviews will be scheduled during the fall/winter. The interview allows the applicant an opportunity to discuss the program with the faculty and residents; due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all interviews will be held virtually. Deadline for receiving applications is November 15, 2020. After all applicants have been interviewed, the faculty and residents rank applicants in order of preference and submit the list of names to the National Resident Matching Program.

CRITERIA:

  • Only ERAS applications are accepted
  • Our application deadline is November 15
  • Step 1: Minimum USMLE score of 210 and no more than one failed attempt
  • Step 2: Minimum score of 210 with no failed attempts. 
  • COMLEX Step 1 & 2: Minimum score of 500 with no more than 1 failed attempt on Step 1 and no failed    attempts on Step 2
  • Applicants must have completed USMLE step 2
  • Applicants must not be more than 2 years out of medical school.
  • Three letters of recommendation are required.  One must be a letter from a Family Medicine physician you have worked  with
  • Foreign applicants must be fluent in both written and oral English. Our Residency does not support or sponsor VISA’s of any kind.
  • Foreign applicants must have US clinical experienced and have a letter of recommendation from a family physician that you have worked with in the United States.

If you are a Foreign Medical Graduate - Please contact the Idaho State Board of Medicine to make sure your medical school is an approved school for licensure in Idaho (208) 327-7000. If not approved, we cannot accept your application. 

SALARY:

R1 | $56,400.00
R2 | $59,500.00
R3 | $62,000.00

INTERVIEW DATES:

  • Wednesday - November 4, 2020
  • Wednesday - November 11, 2020
  • Wednesday - November 18, 2020
  • Wednesday - December 9, 2020
  • Wednesday - December 16, 2020
  • Wednesday - January 6, 2021
  • Wednesday - January 13, 2021
  • Wednesday - January 20, 2021

DIRECT INQUIRIES:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cherri Bingham, MV Residency Coordinator

Family Medicine Residency of Idaho / St. Luke's

(208) 814-9800

BinghaCL@slhs.org

Clinical Locations

St. Luke’s Magic Valley Medical Center

801 Pole Line Road West, Twin Falls, Idaho 83301

SLMVMC is located in Twin Falls, Idaho. It is a 220 bed facility with an active medical staff of 166 physicians specializing in allergy and immunology, anesthesiology, cardiology, dermatology, emergency medicine, family medicine, general and vascular surgery, internal medicine, pulmonology, rheumatology, neurology, obstetrics and gynecology, medical and radiation oncology, ophthalmology, orthopedic surgery, ENT, pathology, pediatrics, plastic surgery, psychiatry, radiology, and urologic surgery.

St. Luke’s Jerome Medical Center

709 North Lincoln, Jerome, Idaho, 83338

St. Benedicts is a mission-driven, non-profit 25 bed critical access hospital with associated physician practices. We specialize in family medicine, emergency medicine, gynecology and obstetrics, cardiology, dental surgery, general surgery, orthopedic surgery, and radiology. Our St. Benedicts professional team provides high quality patient oriented care and is dedicated to caring for the underserved.

St. Luke’s Jerome Family Medicine

112 5th Avenue West, Jerome, Idaho, 83338

At Family Care Physicians, we provide personal care for the entire family. Our team of residents and board certified family physicians and our nurse practitioner are here to provide a holistic patient centered medical home. We are the residency family medicine continuity clinic. We pride ourselves on caring for patients as a part of our community family.  We provide care for all ages from newborns to seniors and for most medical conditions as well as pregnancy and delivery. We provide many services to our community including colonoscopy, EGD, C-sections, colposcopy, and vasectomy, as well as frequent smaller surgical procedures.  Resident physicians are treated as colleagues. They have their own practice, deliver their own continuity obstetric patients, and care for their own medical patients. The patient population includes primarily Caucasians with a strong Hispanic population of about 30%. The work force is primarily employed in agriculture and aquaculture and related industries.

St. Luke’s Clinic Physician Center

775 Pole Line Road West, Suite 105, Twin Falls, Idaho 83301

St. Luke’s Clinic Physician Center provides experienced family practice and pediatric health care to people of all ages in the Magic Valley. We have a wide scope of practice, including: Women’s health (non-OB), Vasectomy, Childhood diseases, Diabetes management for children, adolescents, and adults, Pediatric behavioral health care.

Community

The Magic Valley and Snake River Plain is a place where you can feel the forces of nature. Kayakers can ride the rapids and easily appreciate what it may have been like to see the Bonneville flood smash through the Snake River Canyon 15, 000 years ago. Twin Falls is situated in the scenic area of South Central Idaho, within a 2 hour drive from famous Sun Valley, Boise, and Pocatello. Twin Falls has a population of 35,000 people with a projected annual growth rate of 1.5%.

Jerome is located about 15 miles north of Twin Falls across the Snake River Canyon. It has a population of about 9600 people—and many more cows than people. Economy The economy has a solid base of industry, which is primarily agriculture related. Twin Falls has one large mall as well as major specialty stores. Restaurant services include major chains and many locally owned restaurants.

The College of Southern Idaho’s beautiful campus is located near the Snake River Canyon and hosts a variety of educational opportunities, as well and stimulating and entertaining cultural events. Options include theatre, a wide variety of musical productions, community events, and sports, including a national award-winning basketball team. Training in aquaculture, alternative energy, a LEED certified medical education facility for training in various medical allied fields are also a part of the campus.

Jerome is a rural agricultural based economy with numerous dairies and cheese processing facilities. There is a multitude of farms growing hay, potatoes, corn, sugar beets, and beans, as well as famous Idaho potatoes. Climate The Magic Valley has a four season climate. Daytime highs in July are about 91 degrees F with comfortable overnight lows of 54 F. January temperatures typically range from about 37F in the daytime to 19F overnight. The Valley has relatively little precipitation, receiving about 17 inches of snow and 9 inches of rain each year. Residents enjoy sunny skies 260 days annually, and the air is dry and clear. This is a high desert sage brush plain with canyons, and a beautiful mountain backdrop creating a gorgeous contrast to the lushly green irrigated fields. Recreation South Central Idaho offers unlimited recreational opportunities and scenic beauty. A popular tourist attraction is the Snake River Canyon, which is spanned by the Perrine Bridge. The bridge is 1500 feet long and is 485 feet above the canyon floor. This majestic bridge is a world-famous base jumping venue.

Nearby Shoshone falls has a vertical drop of 212 feet and spans a width of 1,000 feet, making it 52 feet higher than Niagara Falls.

Local country clubs and community golf courses provide a challenge to the most avid golfers. A number of community recreational facilities including large baseball and softball fields, both indoor and outdoor tennis courts, basketball courts, swimming pools, all compliment the opportunities available.

Other tourist attractions nearby include Shoshone Ice Caves, Mammoth Caves, Craters of the Moon National Monument, Balanced Rock, Thousand Springs , and the Sawtooth National Forest Recreational area. World famous Sun Valley, a year-round scenic and recreational resort and ski area, is less than 90 minutes away. Skiers can select from 54 groomed runs, and sixteen high volume chair lifts whisk them 2,300 vertical feet up to Bald Mountain’s 9,200 foot summit. Over 60 international restaurants provide all types of dining and entertainment.

Big game hunting includes antelope, bear, deer, elk, moose, and sheep. Several lakes and rivers, including Salmon Falls Reservoir, Magic Reservoir, Thousand Springs, Billingsly creek, Silver Creek, Copper Basin, and the Snake River, provide popular fishing spots. White water adventure trips, ice skating, camping, hiking, swimming, boating, water skiing, and other recreational opportunities are available at various times of the year. The Middle Fork of the Salmon River in South Central Idaho was rated one of the best white water rafting areas in the United States by the New York Times Travel Section in 1999.

Scholarly Activity

As our program grows, we will feature Magic Valley specific publications and presentations within this section. You can view our recent publications and presentations organization-wide by clicking HERE.

Highlighted Curricular Strengths

Coming Soon...

Medical Students

Medical Students & Sub-Internships Family Medicine Residency of Idaho (FMRI) Magic Valley Rural Program offers clerkships and sub-internships for medical students in Family Medicine. Students interested in Family Medicine clerkships or sub-internships at FMRI Magic Valley must first meet the criteria below. Medical Student Clerkship Criteria:

  • FMRI Magic Valley will accept third-year clerkship medical students on a space available basis from the University Of Washington School Of Medicine, the University Of Utah School Of Medicine, or the Pacific Northwest University College of Osteopathic Medicine.
  • FMRI Magic Valley will accept fourth-year medical students for Family Medicine sub-internships or out-patient rotations from any U.S. medical school on a space available basis after items 1-3 below have been received, reviewed and approved.
  • Due to hospital credentialing requirements in Idaho, non-University of Washington students applying for a sub-internship rotation must first be approved by FMRI and then apply through the University of Washington visiting student clinical elective program, VSAS. Please check the University of Washington rotation dates before applying. Requested rotation dates should fall within the rotation guidelines, and ideally be four weeks in length. Registration through VSAS should be started at least ten weeks prior to your desired rotation date and the final confirmation of your rotation from the University of Washington received at least four weeks prior to your rotation start date in order to be eligible to start your rotation.

Please send:

Please note:  A vehicle is required for this rotation and we cannot guarantee housing for students completing fourth year rotations and non-University of Washington third year students.  Housing and transportation are your responsibility. For additional information or any questions please contact Cherri Bingham at binghacl@slhs.org or 208-814-9855.  

Graduates

2020 Class

Tony Blankers, MD

Magic Valley Program 2020

Medical School: Mayo Medical School in Rochester, MN
Current Job: TBD

Kena Lackman, MD

Magic Valley Program 2020

Medical School: University of Washington School of Medicine
Current Job: TBD

2019 Class

Jared Henderson, MD

Magic Valley Program Graduate 2019

Medical School: Ohio State University
Current Job: Primary Care with group in St. Luke’s Magic Valley

Sarah Waterman, MD

Magic Valley Program Graduate 2019

Medical School: Creighton University School of Medicine
Current Job: OB Fellowship in Omaha, NE (2019-2020)

2018 Class

Robert Crouch, DO

Magic Valley Program Graduate 2018

Medical School: Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Current Job: Broad spectrum surgical OB faculty member in Nampa, ID

Andrew Schweitzer, MD

Magic Valley Program Graduate 2018

Medical School: University of Washington School of Medicine
Current Job: Broad spectrum surgical OB job in Cottonwood, ID

2017 Class

Catherine Doyle, MD

Magic Valley Program Graduate 2017

Medical school: University of Washington School of Medicine
Current job: Outpatient and inpatient family medicine in Jerome, ID

Tara Mertz-Hack, MD

Magic Valley Program Graduate 2017

Medical school: University of North Dakota
Current job: Outpatient and prenatal care in Oakes, ND. L&D coverage in Fargo, ND