A memory device includes a magnetic tunnel junction memory cell having a magnetic tunnel junction structure (114) and a read switch. In one example, the read switch is connected to a conductor that is used to write to the magnetic tunnel junction structure (104). In a further example, the read switch is a transistor electrically coupled to the magnetic tunnel junction structure by a deep via contact. In a further example, the memory device includes a plurality of magnetic tunnel junction memory cells and a plurality of conductors respectively associated with the cells for writing information to the associated magnetic tunnel junction structures. Each read switch (106) is connected to the conductor (110) associated with a magnetic tunnel junction cell other than the cell in which the read switch resides.