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Leslie Elmore, DO
Leslie Elmore was raised on a working ranch in western South Dakota, which is where she became interested in rural medicine (particularly surgery) after losing her mother to colon cancer. This loss made her understand the vitality of access to quality healthcare in rural communities first-hand.
While obtaining her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology at South Dakota Sate University, Elmore worked as a CNA in an extended care facility. Upon graduation from SDSU, she worked as a full-time Medical Assistant in a rural primary care clinic, and both as a traveling CNA and phlebotomist in the Cancer Care Center where her mother had previously undergone treatment. Elmore states that these work experiences are where she noticed her medical aspirations merge with her passion for serving rural communities.
Elmore is a a recent graduate of the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM). She was also a member of the Rural Health Initiative and the Sigma Sigma Phi Honor Society, and past vice president of the WVSOM branch of the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics. In 2018, Elmore was awarded the Pacific Northwest Osteopathic Foundations scholarship in recognition of her passion to practice rural medicine, and with her graduation, Elmore hopes to complete a surgical residency and serve in a rural community.
As a WV AHEC Rural Community Health Scholar, Elmore hopes to become well-versed in the needs and points of opportunity to better serve rural communities while serving as an integral part of an interprofessional team. She notes that while rural communities are a large point of impact, they are often an overlooked aspect of our healthcare system. However, she sees them for their tremendous opportunity for growth and education, and emphasizes the importance of looking to these communities to serve as a foundation for quality care.