Alva Review-Courier -

PENDLETON, Ore. (AP) — When anesthesiologist Richard Wick opted to practice in rural Walla Walla after his residency last summer, the decision put him at odds with most of his classmates. Young physicians tend to flock to jobs in big cities.

Wick, who grew up in Pendleton, dreamed of being a doctor since boyhood and practicing in a rural area was always on the radar. His father, Ernest Wick, ran the radiology department at St. Anthony Hospital. The boy hung around the hospital, even shadowing Pendleton general surgeon John McBee. Wick always figured he would become a surgeon, but changed cours...