Buddy Kalani Kumupaʻa Seto-Myers
“Aloha mai kākou! ʻO wau ʻo Buddy Kalani Kumupaʻa Seto-Myers. I am Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) and a second-year medical student at the University of Washington School of Medicine.”
Though his family’s homelands are in Kaʻū, Hawaiʻi, Buddy grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area as part of the Hawaiian diaspora. His journey to medicine is rooted in a desire to advance culturally responsive care for Indigenous communities — and to “be the doctor I never had.”
At UWSOM, Buddy has found a strong sense of community. He chose UW for its robust Indigenous health network, including the Center for Indigenous Health, the Indian Health Pathway, and numerous Indigenous faculty and mentors across the WWAMI region.
As a co-lead of the Association of Native American Medical Students UW Chapter (ANAMS UW Chapter), Buddy helped plan this year’s annual Anatomy Lab Blessing Ceremony. The blessing was created by ANAMS UW Chapter leaders Shelby Snyder and Sarah Rasmussen-Rehkopf and hosts local Indigenous Elders, Glen and Yvette Pinkham. ANAMS UW Chapter, the Center for Indigenous Health, and UWSOM anatomy lab faculty all collaborate to make it happen. The Blessing’s goal is to foster a culturally grounded and respectful space for students to enter this formative part of their training. 
“The blessing helps us engage in the anatomy lab with cultural safety and respect. It reminds us that medicine is not just a science—it’s a field enriched by the communities it serves.”
Through his clinical work at the Seattle Indian Health Board, Buddy is learning firsthand how Indigenous physicians integrate traditional healing with modern biomedicine.
“I aspire to practice community-centered medicine that uplifts Indigenous knowledge, sovereignty, and health for future generations.”
Outside of medical school, Buddy enjoys hoe waʻa (canoe paddling) with Hui Waʻa O Wakinikona, hiking with friends, and cheering on the Mariners with a hot chocolate in hand.
This Native American Heritage Month, Buddy reminds us:
“Health sovereignty means moving past cycles of disparity toward thriving Indigenous communities. We must all advocate for Indigenous land, culture, and representation in medicine.”
Learn more about Western Washington WWAMI.