A Nurse Practitioner’s Story of Grit, Care, and Innovation
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.
