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 […]
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 […]
When Lessly Tapia Torres was a child, she was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy. Her mother was told there were few options for follow-up care because of their immigration status. For Lessly, that moment was formative. “I remember watching my mom fight for me, while seeing other families struggle in the clinic,” she recalls. “It opened […]
“I realized that as a pre-med student myself, there were lots of questions about preparing for medical school that I couldn’t answer,” says Zoe Thomas, a third-year undergraduate studying neuroscience and bioethics at the University of Washington. “Given how much I learned from others, I wanted to create a space where students could connect directly […]
Dream of becoming a family physician to become reality soon in Hardin Marie Elwood’s path to medical school and residency has taken her on a long and winding road – and at times, a very rocky one. The non-traditional student and mom of seven kids has demonstrated her resilience and unwavering commitment to securing her […]
Caleb Allred Caleb has led efforts to improve healthcare access for patients with language barriers, working since 2022 with Seattle Children’s Hospital to streamline scheduling and support shared decision-making in pediatric ENT care. Originally from Rexburg, Idaho, he’s also contributed to global health projects in Ecuador and Chile, served as a Spanish medical interpreter and […]
Abigail Petty’s first year of medical school came with an additional layer of joy, excitement and stress: the birth of her daughter, Jane. Now a second-year student in the Idaho WWAMI program, Petty continues to balance motherhood with the requirements of her education. One of the biggest challenges Petty faces is the emotional toll of […]
In honor of Prosthetics and Orthotics Career Awareness Month we are highlighting Master of Prosthetics and Orthotics student, JackRyan O’Neil, who has an interesting background as an adaptive ski instructor and is currently volunteering with the Outdoors for All program. We asked JackRyan to tell us about himself and his chosen education path. […]
Please introduce yourself in a couple of sentences. My name is Robert Stratton, I’m 25 years old, and I’m deaf in my left ear so I’ve been signing for 10 years. Music is one of my favorite types of art, so I practice ASL through interpreting music. What specialty are you pursuing and […]
Natalie Grazian is a second-year occupational therapy Master’s student in the UW Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. She was and raised in the San Diego area and has found her home here in Seattle. Natalie is aiming to specialize in rehab for folks with limb loss and limb difference, particularly upper extremity. She is learning as […]
