For Alaska WWAMI Foundations faculty member Dr. Carol Paredes, the first year of medical school is about more than building scientific knowledge. It’s about helping students become compassionate physicians. She believes great doctors earn their patients’ trust through empathy, respect and genuine listening. “One of the most rewarding aspects of teaching is partnering with first-year […]
Last month, five Alaska WWAMI graduates were recognized during the University of Washington School of Medicine’s (UWSOM’s) 32nd annual Traditional Blanket Ceremony. The annual celebration honors Indigenous graduating medical students and those who completed the Indian Health Pathway. Held in Seattle, the ceremony celebrated graduates’ achievements and their commitment to serving Indigenous communities. Among […]
“My path to this research is a funny one: it was an accident.” That’s how Alaska WWAMI first-year Joren Bowling describes landing at the center of an international research project examining the risks and challenges of delivering healthcare on the Moon. But the accident, as he tells it, was years in the making. A long […]
Last week, we shared in the joy and pride as 21 graduating Alaska WWAMI students crossed the stage at Benaroya Hall in Seattle, officially earning their titles: Doctor of Medicine. On May 22, 2026, we celebrated the Alaska WWAMI graduating Class of 2026 during the Physician’s Oath and Hooding Ceremony. The graduates are part of […]
What does it take to practice medicine where temperatures drop below minus 40 degrees during the winter, medevac flights are delayed by weather, and patients may travel by canoe to reach care? Those questions were at the heart of “The Art and Science of Arctic Medicine,” a recent CLIME Conversation Café and CLIMEcast Live Zoom […]
For Dr. Tim Hinterberger, teaching first-year medical students about the brain means embracing both science and mystery. As a faculty member in Alaska WWAMI’s Foundations block: Mind, Brain & Behavior (MBB), Hinterberger introduces students to one of medicine’s most complex frontiers: the human brain and consciousness itself. “For thirty years I’ve told students on the […]
For first-year Alaska WWAMI students Bhargavi Pochi and Shannon Miller, service learning is about more than volunteer hours. As co-leads for the Alaska AIDS Assistance Association (4As) Service Learning Advisory Committee (SLAC), the two students are working directly with Anchorage’s most vulnerable community members while gaining firsthand insight into addiction medicine, harm reduction and compassionate […]
On most mornings, Heather Pollard is awake before the rest of her household, studying in the quiet before the day begins. Soon after, she starts getting her three children ready for school in Anchorage, shifting between her roles as a third-year medical student and a mom. Pollard’s interest in medicine began early. “I was first […]
At the Brother Francis Shelter in Anchorage, a small group of volunteers gathers twice a month to provide a service that is often overlooked but essential to overall health. The Foot Care Clinic, supported by Alaska WWAMI students and other volunteers, offers basic foot care and brief exams to anyone who walks through the door. […]
For first-year medical students, the brain can feel like both a marvel and a mystery. In Alaska WWAMI’s Foundations block on Mind, Brain & Behavior (MBB), Dr. Catherine Kilby helps bring that complexity into focus, guiding students through the biological and psychological underpinnings of behavior while grounding each concept in patient experience. “Neurology and Psychiatry […]
