We met in the trenches of PA school back in 2011, bonding over anatomy flashcards and the shared delusion that we'd still have time for outdoor adventures while studying. Spoiler alert: we didn't, but our friendship survived anyway!
 

Fast forward through many patient encounters later (some hilarious, some heartbreaking, all confidential... mostly), and we've racked up years of combined experience across urgent care, women's health, dermatology, and psychiatry. Turns out, weird medical stories make for the best happy hour conversations!

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When we're not wearing our clinical hats:

- Kaycee is crushing marathons, flying down mountain trails, and carving up Montana's ski slopes with the kind of energy that makes everyone else need a nap.

- Julie is scaling peaks, setting up camp in places with zero cell service (bliss!), navigating river rapids, and occasionally teaching others how not to die in the wilderness through her company, Headwaters Field Medicine.

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Between clinic shifts, school drop-offs, and attempting to remember our spouses' names, we somehow started a podcast. "The Crux" is our sanity-saving project where we share tales from the wild worlds of medicine, true survival and outdoor adventure. It's also our therapy session for navigating the post-COVID healthcare landscape (send help... and coffee).

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Two Montana women. Two medical careers. Too many stories to keep to ourselves. Come join our adventure – just bring your own first aid kit. We're off duty!