Student Derek McClune

2025 HUG Scholarship Recipient

Derek McClune, a second-time Northwest Osteopathic Foundation HUG scholarship recipient, is an OMS-III at Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine – Southern Utah, studying within the Rural and Wilderness Medicine Track.

Originally from Wenatchee, Washington, Derek earned his degree in Exercise Science at Brigham Young University, where he competed in wrestling and rugby. Wrestling has profoundly shaped his approach to medicine—teaching grit, discipline, and the philosophy of Kaizen, or continuous improvement.

As a wrestling coach, Derek mentors young athletes through both victories and setbacks, teaching them to see strength in persistence and health as a balance of body and mind. He integrates his medical training into practices by emphasizing nutrition, safe conditioning, and lifelong wellness.

Beyond athletics, Derek volunteers conducting high school physicals, providing essential care and guidance to students who often lack regular access to healthcare. He also founded Road to Wellness, a grassroots health education newsletter focused on practical, evidence-based strategies for sleep, movement, and self-care—meeting people where they are and promoting preventive health in underserved communities.

Derek’s service extends to his peers, mentoring new medical students and creating spaces for wellness and connection, including organizing intramural sports to support stress relief and camaraderie. He believes that healthier, more balanced physicians provide better care for their patients.

Established in 2022, the Northwest Osteopathic Foundation’s HUG Scholarship provides a $10,000 tuition scholarship annually to an osteopathic medical student dedicated to serving historically underrepresented groups in medicine.

The scholarship supports students from African American and/or Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native American (including American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians), Pacific Islander, and/or mainland Puerto Rican communities.

The benefits of a culturally and racially diverse physician workforce have been well documented for decades—and Derek’s work to empower and serve rural and underrepresented populations embodies the very heart of this scholarship.

Fluent in Spanish after a two-year mission in Bolivia, Derek plans to return to rural Washington to practice orthopedic or sports medicine, combining his love of movement, education, and whole-person care.