BOISE, Idaho — Dr. Joseph Saad sat with a small group of first-year medical students at the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine on Friday, offering advice that comes from experience: "Just take it day by day and drink from a fire hose."

The 2022 ICOM graduate knows the challenges ahead for these students. More importantly, he represents what Idaho desperately needs more of — a doctor who left for training but chose to return home.

"It's just a slow process, of taking tests and then you'll look back on it like oh my gosh you've come a long way," Saad tells the students during Friday's session.

Now an emergency medicine physician at St. Alphonsus hospitals across the Treasure Valley, Saad returns to ICOM twice a month to teach.

After completing medical school at ICOM, Saad faced a hars

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