Alaska WWAMI students are reaping the rewards from the Targeted Rural Underserved Track (TRUST). TRUST helps students get hands-on insight into the benefits and challenges of rural practice throughout medical school while building lasting connections in underserved communities. First-year Alaska WWAMI students Mauri Butzke, Yi Chan and Abigail Moffett recently completed their initial TRUST experiences […]
Growing up in Anchorage, Alaska WWAMI student Martin Juarez-Alvarado saw firsthand how the cost of care can prevent families from getting the medical attention they need. “Even when care was sought, treatment often had to be delayed or abandoned entirely because they couldn’t afford to pay for services,” he said. Those early experiences sparked a […]
In the quiet moments between exams and evening routines, Alaska WWAMI student Manuel De La Garza is embracing what it means to be both a future surgeon and a present, devoted father. Originally from Denton, Texas, and now living in Anchorage, Alaska, he’s navigating the intense demands of medical school while raising a young family—a […]
Alaska WWAMI’s Sophie Nethercut is preparing to advance to the next phase of her medical career: residency. Her chosen specialty, psychiatry, can be traced back to her fascination with people and their personal stories. While attending Yale University and gathering oral histories of various individuals, it suddenly struck her what she wanted to do. “I […]
Any parent knows how tough it is going to college while raising a child but imagine raising three young kids while going through medical school. Grace Champion, a fourth year Alaska WWAMI medical student, has proven that she’s a champion at accomplishing both goals. Raised in Palmer, and now living in Anchorage, she credits her […]
The Alaska Academy of Family Physicians (AKAFP) recently honored Kristen Lee, MD, as the Family Physician of the Year, recognizing her exceptional dedication to patient care and outstanding contributions to family medicine in Alaska. “I am grateful and humbled by the honor of being selected as the Alaska Family Physician of the Year,” said Dr. […]
“…small anatomical differences can have major effects on speech.” Alaska WWAMI medical student Maille Moriarty recently received the Western Society for Pediatric Research Prolacta Research Award. Moriarty was one of 11 Alaska WWAMI students to present abstracts at the Western Student and Resident Medical Research Forum (WSMRF) January 16 – 18, 2025. Moriarty’s abstract is […]
Paves Own Path in Family Medicine For Katie Baker, growing up in Craig, Alaska, meant watching her father, a dedicated family physician, serve and care for the community she calls home. Now retired, his work left a lasting impression on Baker. “As a little girl, I admired the close-knit relationship my father had with the […]
