Family Medicine Department Matches All Residency Positions
Idaho State University has successfully recruited a full slate of new residents to their Family Medicine, Psychology, Pharmacotherapy and brand new Psychiatry program, beginning the first of several years serving and training in the areas surrounding East and West Idaho.
The Family Medicine Residency Program (FMR), which began in 1994, accepts the same number of residents each year to replace the graduating residents in a three-year cycle. Dozens of applications are submitted each year.
“We interview upwards of 70 to 100 potential applicants every year,” said Greg Harding, residency administrator. “From that, we get our selection of residents.”
The FMR has a new rural training track (RTT) located in Rexburg, Idaho. Currently, the RTT has successfully matched its second resident this year. This resident will train with the Family Medicine Residency for one year and then join the current RTT resident next year in Rexburg. Eventually, a total of six residents will be training in Rexburg. This gives these residents an opportunity to focus on what it means to serve as a physician in a sparsely populated area.
“They see themselves working in a more rural area when they become a licensed physician,” Harding said. “All our residents get the same experiences and training, but a rural physician that chooses to work in a rural area will be practicing the full spectrum of family medicine, which can include delivering babies.”
The residents will serve under the supervision of numerous physicians during their residency, creating well-rounded doctors. At least half of the graduating residents in this residency have stayed in Idaho, something helpful to face the shortage of doctors.
“We’re facing a shortage of doctors across the nation and in our own state,” Harding said.
Patients of the ISU Family Medicine Clinic in Pocatello will be seeing the new faces of their intern physician for the three years they are training at the clinic.
“We push for continuity of care, so for the most part our patients in the clinic will see their resident physician for the three years they’re here,” Harding said. “With all their rotations, some that include Boise and Salt Lake City, there are always physicians who are able to precept the residents with their patients.”
Harding says each group of incoming residents are talented and eager to learn, something he sees as well with the incoming group.
“It’s fun to see the excitement and the energy levels the incoming residents have,” he said. “It’s also exciting to see the third years graduate and start their life and practice after residency.”
As well as the Family Medicine Residency securing a full program, The Pharmacotherapy Residency secured one resident for its available position and the Psychology internship program matched an intern for its available position.
In addition, the newly-formed Psychiatry Residency - working in conjunction with University of Utah - matched three residents for their three slots. This exciting venture started with the knowledge that there is a severe shortage of psychiatrists in Idaho.
The program has been organized with the assistance of Portneuf Medical Center, the VA Clinic, HealthWest Inc., the Human Development Center, State Hospital South and private psychiatrists in Southeast Idaho. Residents in this four year program will spend the first two years in Salt Lake City and the last two years in Southeast Idaho.
We congratulate each of the new residents and welcome them to the Bengal family!
Family Medicine Residents
Brandon Comish, MD
Brandon comes to us from University of Washington. As a student who has shown commitment to rural and underserved community engagement, he was chosen to participate in the TRUST Program (Targeted Rural Underserved Track) in Idaho. He has a special interest in global health, obstetrics, and pediatrics. Brandon has no trouble filling his off-time, where you may find him practicing Judo (black belt), traveling, learning new languages, playing his guitar or piano, engaged in art, flying drones, or reading fantasy fiction.
Emily Davis, MD
Emily comes to us from Washington University – St. Louis. She hails from Van Nuys, California but has a heart for rural Family Medicine, with special interest in public health and disease prevention, having earned a Master’s Degree in public health to learn more about health policy and become a better advocate for her community. In her free time, Emily enjoys music and dancing, spending as much time outdoors hiking, and on rainy days curled up with a good book.
Tyshae Jaggi, DO
Tyshae comes to us from Pacific NW University. She hails from the Idaho Falls area. She aims to work in a rural area after residency, stating “I like the doctor-patient relationships in family medicine, the medical variety of cases, and the ability to work with all ages, entire families, and different ways of life”. In her free time you’ll find Tyshae outside running, hunting, fishing, hiking, playing soccer, or heading out to a movie.
Jack John, DO
Jack comes to us from Liberty University. He hails from Layton, Utah. He has a heart for Family Medicine because “it is the only specialty where a physician is not limited by patient population or specialty. They can see all patients, any time, regardless of the ailment.” In his free time, you’ll find him backpacking, horseback riding, golfing, listening to music, or reading.
Jokke Kokkonen, DO
Jokke comes to us from AT Still University, Kirksville. He is interested in working in an underserved area after residency and to have a positive influence in communities far from the epicenters of health care. Family Medicine will equip him with the tools to serve his future community. In his free time, you’ll find him on the prowl for new hikes, gardening (cherry tomatoes for his children is a must), camping, traveling, and training for 5Ks and half-marathons.
Sye Speth, DO
Sye comes to us from University of Pikeville. He is drawn to Family Medicine because of the wide scope of practice, the personal, long-term relationships built, and the opportunity to be a teacher of medicine. In his free time, you’ll find Sye woodworking, camping, or playing baseball, bowling, and football.
Brian Vause, DO
Brian comes to us from A.T. Still University – Kirksville. He hails from Eden, Utah and has a heart for rural Family Medicine, including hospital medicine, especially for underserved populations. He is interested in the challenges and options that a Family Physician can have in providing a breadth of care in differing circumstances. In his free time, you’ll find Brian doing all sorts of outdoorsy things, like mountain biking, trail running, flying an airplane, gardening, camping and visiting national parks, road trips, and skiing.
Mark Steele, MD (Rexburg RTT)
Marc comes to us from Ross University. He has matched to the Rexburg Rural Training Track. He will spend his first year at the base program, then spend his second and third years in Rexburg, Idaho. After residency, Marc wishes to practice full-scope rural Family Medicine. He knows being part professional conversationalist and relationship builder is vital to help treat, support, and educate his patients in improving their lives. In his free time, you’ll find Marc both watching and participating in sports (football, baseball, soccer, volleyball) or traveling both here in the US and internationally.
Psychology Intern
Tyrell King, MA
Tyrell King, M.A. comes to us from Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ. He is trained in integrated healthcare and clinical psychology and received an undergraduate and associate’s degree from Utah State University in Logan Utah. At Utah State Tyrell majored in psychology with a minor in Family, Consumer, and Human Development, and also received a second minor in Business/Entrepreneurship. He loved living in Cache Valley and is looking forward to being back in the mountains and all that they have to offer.
Tyrell loves skiing, playing hockey, riding horses, and messing around on anything with an engine. He says family and friends are very important to him and to his personal success and growth. He is excited to be engaged in an integrated healthcare setting and working directly with psychological and medical staff in ways that are meaningful to the patient. He also looks forward to working within the state hospital where he will have an array of unique experiences that will further hone his skills as a clinician and as an individual.
Pharmacotherapy Resident
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Kailey Murphy, PharmD
Psychiatry Residents
Daisha Cummins
Interests/Activities: Country music, refinishing furniture, books, shopping, cooking, wake boarding, snowboarding, camping
Life & Volunteer Experiences: Undergrad Teaching Fellow-USU, Academic Mentor, Resident Housing Assistant, Human Anatomy Tutor, Waitress, Volunteer-Butte County High School, Ronald McDonald House, U of U SOM, Community Parks & Recreation Program
Scholarship & Research: Numerous Scholarships and Awards received, Research Assistant-Suicide Research Project, Undergraduate Researcher-USU-Sensory Motor Behavior Lab, 3 peer-reviewed journal articles/abstracts, 3 poster presentations, 3 oral presentation
Christian Schmutz
Interests/Activities: Improv comedy, fly fishing, cooking, traveling, spending time with family
Life & Volunteer Experiences: USMLE Tutor, DFPM-Univ of Philippines Extern, Ukrainian/Russian translator-Mormon.org, languages: Japanese, Russian, Tagalog, Ukrainian
Scholarship & Research: Youth Suicide Study, Meta-Analysis Research Assistant, 1 peer reviewed journal article/abstract, 4 non-peer reviewed online publications
Leadership: Full-ride Scholarship-BYU, Eagle Scout, Taekwondo 3rd, Degree Blackbelt, Team Leader-Bench 2 Bedside
Matthew Torbenson
Interests/Activities: family, sports, hiking, camping, tough mudder competitions
Life & Volunteer Experiences: Sales Manager, Assistant Store Manager, High School Speaker, Participant-Psych SIG, Big Sib, Student Liaison-MCW Neurology and Psychiatry Course
Scholarship & Research: Research Lead-Hospital Sisters Health System/Libraries
Leadership: Student Representative for Admissions-MCW Student Assembly, President-Psych SIG, Head of Recruitment-Mini-Medical School Day Committee, Admissions Committee Member-MCW Admissions
