“Just as you are.”
Through PNWU’s mission, Student Doctor Cathy Trainor is finding that her fullest self — just as she is — is more than enough. In fact, it’s exactly what healthcare needs.
A former EMT from Big Sky, Montana, she’s witnessed firsthand how systemic inequities impact rural and migrant populations. “It’s never been about me,” says Student Dr. Trainor.
“I have been greatly impacted by their cultural heritage and perspectives.”
From the trauma she witnessed to the joy she shared, her commitment to serve was forged not by theory, but by truth. Her nontraditional path through yoga, documentary filmmaking, and deep spiritual exploration is now converging into a vision of care that celebrates emotional presence as much as medical precision.
“I knew I couldn’t do a whole lot medically,” she says of her EMT years, “but I could show up emotionally, hold space, and listen.”