Plains Family Medicine welcomes new provider

Plains Family Medicine is welcoming another new provider to town with Dr. Drue Webb joining the team in just a few weeks.

Webb has had an interest in medicine since she was in high school. She said she had worked with an OB-GYN during which time there she was strongly encouraged to pursue a career in medicine as a doctor — not a researcher as her initial intention.

“When I went into my PhD program, I found I missed interacting with people outside of the laboratory,” Webb said. “I also wanted to be involved with something that would have a more immediate impact.”

Having debated about going into medicine as she got older, Webb wound up working for an Israeli-based pharmaceutical company — focusing on approval for a cell-based cancer therapy. Webb loved being able to interact with the patients in the study, and be a part of the process. 

“That’s when I finally decided I wanted to become a physician,” she said.

HER BACKGROUND was diverse and intricate to her working toward becoming a physician.

“I went to medical school at Michigan State University. I was accepted into the rural training program, which meant I spent my first two years of pre-clinical work in East Lansing, Michigan,”she said. “I then spent my two clinical years of medical school on the upper peninsula in Marquette, Michigan. This was a unique experience that provided a lot of hands-on training in a more rural location. This helped me realize how much I would enjoy working as a rural family physician. I then did my residency training in Ogden, Utah, at the McKay-Dee Family Medicine Residency program. This is a program that specializes in training full-spectrum family physicians.”

Webb graduated at the end of June, she was the only female resident in her class.

“I have had significant experience in providing women’s health care. I’ve been interested in hospice care since medical school and have been able to continue working in this area with the excellent palliative care/hospice nurses at McKay-Dee,” she further explained.

WEBB TRULY seems to enjoy the journey she takes with patients, which is also a huge part of rural medicine.

“I love the relationships we are able to have as medical providers. I get to be a part of the patient’s life in a unique way and build a trusting partnership. In family medicine, these relationships can be lifelong and spanning generations,” she said.

When it came to choosing a practice to settle into where she could expand, grow and also have the opportunity to work in the range of different medical fields she enjoys, Webb said she is confident that the Clark Fork Valley Hospital and Plains Family Medicine are the places in which she looks forward to working.

“First and foremost, the people working in the hospital and the clinic at CFVH stood out to me. Everyone is so kind and welcoming and truly interested in providing quality care to their patients. In addition the position allowed me to do one of my favorite things, obstetrics, as well as a broad spectrum of care including outpatient, procedures and work in the hospital ER,” she explained.

MONTANA ALSO held onto her after a visit to Kalispell. “When I was interviewing for residency, I visited Kalispell and loved the area. As I thought about where I might want to practice, Montana kept coming to mind. It provides a rural setting in a beautiful area with so many options for outdoor activities,” Webb said.

Though her family lives in New Mexico, California and Nevada, Webb is looking forward to new adventures with her dog Parker.

“I like to spend my spare time outdoors for the most part. I hike with my dog, go for runs, camp, backpack, ski and snowshoe in the winter. I also love trying new sports,” she said. “I’m working on getting into rock climbing and have always wanted to kayak.”

As she gets set to settle into life in Sanders County, Webb is looking forward to meeting new patients and becoming a part of the local community.