Byron Crouse, MD

Associate Dean for Rural and Community Health

Byron J. Crouse, MD, graduated from Mayo Medical School in 1977. Following his family practice residency in Duluth, Minn., he practiced in Spooner, Wisconsin, a community of 1,600 people.

There he provided the full spectrum of family medicine – from obstetrics through geriatrics – from 1980 to 1986. During this time, he taught at the Duluth Family Practice Residency one day per week promoting rural health.

In 1986, Crouse became the residency's assistant director, began procedural training opportunities such as colposcopy and led the development of a new curriculum in sports medicine.

In 1994, Crouse was selected as the first chair of the University of Minnesota School of Medicine's Department of Family Medicine. He was later appointed as the assistant dean for clinical affairs and became the first director of the Minnesota Rural Health School.

In 2001, Crouse moved to University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he became the first associate dean for rural and community health and the vice chair for educational programs in the Department of Family Medicine. In these roles, he works closely with the Wisconsin Area Health Education Center System and the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health.

He has served in various leadership roles at the state and national levels, and currently serves as the co-chair of the Rural Medical Educators group of the National Rural Health Association. He also serves on the national Primary Care Organizations Committee and has published and spoken about rural health topics and educational approaches in rural settings and interdisciplinary education.