Read feature stories about students, staff and faculty from across the WWAMI region.
This November, Alaska WWAMI is honoring our veterans and the incredible commitment they make to our nation. Among them is Caleb Wagle, a second-year Alaska WWAMI medical student and a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force, whose journey blends military service with a dedication to compassionate patient care. Wagle was commissioned in February […]
“My family is from Naknek, a small fishing village in the Bristol Bay region,” shares Laura Aspelund, a second-year medical student with Alaska WWAMI. “My first clinical job was as a medical assistant at the Cama’i Community Health Clinic in Naknek, which directly shaped my path in medicine. The skills and relationships I developed there […]
Behind every successful Idaho WWAMI medical student is a team of dedicated administrative professionals ensuring clinical education runs smoothly. Each year, the Idaho WWAMI Administrative Impact Award honors those whose behind-the-scenes efforts make every medical student’s rotation and learning experience exceptional. This year’s recipients include: • Kaylie Elliott, Saint Alphonsus Health System • Amanda Junttila, […]
Military service has never been just a duty for Idaho WWAMI second-year medical student Alexander LeBlanc. It’s a calling that continues to shape who he is, and that calling is a family tradition. For LeBlanc, military medicine and medical education are two parts of the same mission: caring for others with skill, integrity, and heart. […]
For Dr. Frank Batcha, Idaho WWAMI’s Assistant Clinical Dean, his decision to enlist in the Idaho Army National Guard years ago was a deeply personal calling rooted in family history. “My father was a WWII veteran, coming ashore in Normandy at Omaha Beach and fighting in the hedgerow country in France until he was wounded,” […]
This month, in recognition of Veterans Day, Idaho WWAMI is honoring Dr. Suzanne Allen, whose years of service in the U.S. Air Force helped shape her path as a physician, educator, and leader in medical education. From a military clinic to her current role as Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs at the […]
Across the five-state WWAMI region, many medical students bring to their training not only academic excellence but also years of service in the US Armed Forces. This Veterans Day, UWSOM recognizes and celebrates some of these remarkable individuals whose dedication to service continues in the form of compassionate, community-focused care. Brandi Carreau | Wyoming WWAMI […]
Born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, Mick Edwards is a proud member of the Upper Skagit Tribe, based in Sedro-Woolley, Washington. Now a medical student at the University of Washington School of Medicine’s WWAMI program, Mick is pursuing a path in medicine shaped by a deep commitment to community, culture, and mental health equity. “I […]
In Bozeman, Montana, a growing network of medical students, healthcare professionals, and community advocates is coming together to make healthcare more accessible for Spanish-speaking and immigrant families through Proyecto SALUD (”Project Health”)—a series of seasonal health fairs that provide free screenings, resources, and connection to longer-term care. For second-year Montana WWAMI student Barla Beaudoin, the […]
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 […]
