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 […]
In communities across Alaska, medical education often depends on physicians who are willing to teach, mentor, and model compassionate care in real-world settings. This year, one of those educators is being recognized for his impact. Dr. Don Schneider, a Juneau-based family medicine physician at Valley Medical Care, is the recipient of the WRITE Excellence in […]
Dr. Jean Snyder’s career in family medicine has spanned decades, continents, and nearly every corner of patient care. Now, after years of serving communities across Alaska and beyond, she has been recognized as the Alaska Family Physician of the Year by the Alaska Academy of Family Physicians. The honor came as a surprise during a […]
Match Day marked a pivotal milestone for Alaska WWAMI student Thomas Hanks, who learned he will train in neurosurgery at the University of Washington. Originally from Corpus Christi, Texas, Hanks moved to Anchorage just before starting high school, a transition that helped shape both his personal and professional path. Now, after years of study and […]
