Overview

A Nurse Practitioner's Story of Grit, Care, and InnovationIn today's medical world, burnout is rising and rural clinics are left understaffed, and many clinicians feel trapped in a system that has forgotten its purpose. Professionals try cutting hours, switching jobs, even turning to corporate locum tenens agencies-only to find the same disillusionment waiting for them. The frustration is real: exhaustion, moral injury, and the sense that the heart of medicine is slipping away. But there is another path-one discovered in the most unlikely place: the remote villages of bush Alaska, where temperatures plunge to 50 below and a single clinician may stand between a community and catastrophe. Medicine at 50 Below offers a different path. By sharing her years as a nurse practitioner in bush Alaska where she was often the only provider for hundreds of miles, Mary Ellen Doty reveals how reconnecting with purpose and autonomy can revive both the clinician and the communities they serve. Her experience led to the creation of Wilderness Medical Staffing, now staffing more than 150 rural and remote clinics with physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants seeking meaningful work. Mary Ellen writes with clarity, humility, and a deep respect for Alaska's people and land. Her purpose is simple: Show readers that there are solutions for rural healthcare and that there is a way for clinicians to reclaim the meaning they thought was gone. In this book, you'll discover: The realities of practicing medicine in extreme environments-and the resilience it builds. How rural and remote medicine can restore professional purpose and reduce burnout. Why rotational staffing solves problems permanent placement never could. How community-centered care leads to better outcomes for Native Alaskans. A founder's blueprint for creating a mission-driven healthcare company without losing your values. If you're ready to see what meaningful medicine can look like again, Medicine at 50 Below will show you the way.

Full Product Details

9798993602400

Table of Contents

Reviews

""A captivating read that has the power to inspire both adventurous medical providers and anyone seeking a deeper purpose in life. Each chapter draws you in, making it difficult to set this book aside."" -Kenneth Smoker, member of Dakota/Nakota Tribe of Fort Peck Reservation, Montana. Tribal Leader for 44 years in Healthcare in underserved Native American communities. ""An exceptional story that will stir emotions and touch your soul. [Mary Ellen Doty] is one of the original trailblazers for advanced practice providers delivering healthcare in the northern latitudes."" -Michael Molnar, PA-C, 30-year veteran of emergency medicine. ""A powerful reminder that with courage, rhythm, and focus, leaders with purpose can build something extraordinary. Medicine at 50 Below is proof that disciplined growth creates not just success-but freedom."" -Shannon Byrne Susko - Founder, CEO and Head Coach at Metronomics, and Best Selling Author of The M Game, Metronomics, 3HAG Way, and The Metronome Effect. ""A compelling read that captures the challenges and satisfaction that comes with meeting patient needs in the most remote parts of our country."" -Mark Peterson, MD, Medical Director and Family Physician, Norton Sound Health Corporation ""Medicine at 50 Below captures the essence of the joy and heartbreak of the practice of medicine in rural Alaska."" -Dr. Richard Harper, M.D., specialist in remote and austere medicine. ""The struggle to recruit quality healthcare providers to care for people in remote, rural locations is real. Mary Ellen has been one of those providers and tells about the struggles of frontier medicine with heart, honesty, and passion."" -Audrey Stromberg, CEO, Roosevelt Medical Center ""Nothing short of inspiring. Mary Ellen Doty fearlessly embraced the challenges of Alaska's remote wilderness, stepping into a world where healthcare delivery required resilience, adaptability, and a deep understanding of people and culture. Her genuine heart and commitment to meeting patients where they are shines through every page of this book. Medicine at 50 Below is more than a memoir; it's a celebration of courage, compassion, and innovation in healthcare. I wholeheartedly endorse this book and the remarkable woman behind it."" -Kristi Gatrell, CEO, Big Horn Hospital Association ""Wow. This is a riveting and breathtaking story that I couldn't put down. This remarkable story tells how Mary Ellen Doty developed a calling to serve rural and remote communities across Alaska, and how that calling evolved into a purpose-driven, wildly successful business. Every chapter is filled with grit, tenacity, resilience, and damn hard work. The courage, conviction, and relentless drive that gave life to Wilderness Medical Staffing came through with such clarity and emotion that it left me with an even deeper appreciation for the extraordinary path she walked, and the mission that continues to touch so many lives. I highly recommend Medicine at 50 Below to anyone who loves a story rooted in passion, purpose, and unwavering dedication. This book is a true gift, and one that will stay with me for a lifetime."" -Keith Upkes, Executive Business Coach and Strategic Planning Facilitator

Author Information

Mary Ellen Doty is an advanced nurse practitioner and founder of Wilderness Medical Staffing. She spent 19 years delivering healthcare in remote Alaskan villages-often as the only medical provider for hundreds of miles-before building a mission-driven staffing company that now serves more than 150 rural and reservation clinics. A Montana native and passionate advocate for meaningful medicine, she now lives in Montana with her border collie, Jack. Learn more at maryellendoty.com or wildernessmedicalstaffing.com.

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