Meet Yi Chan, Second-year Alaska WWAMI TRUST scholar!Yi grew up in Utqiagvik, Alaska, where working at the local hospital taught her a hard truth about rural medicine: you never know what will come through the door, or what you’ll have on hand to treat it. That’s part of why she chose WWAMI’s TRUST program for […]
Meet Gretta Pickett, a 2nd year Seattle WWAMI medical student who is now in her Rural and Underserved Opportunities Program placement in Nome, Alaska. This summer she’s looking forward to learning about the practice of medicine in rural Alaska, how traditional foods and practices shape health in Alaska Native communities, and building her physical exam […]
Feona Hoy is spending her RUOP somewhere pretty fitting for someone building a career on showing up for people: North Pole, Alaska. As a second-year student with Alaska WWAMI, Feona is using this rotation to dig into something she’s genuinely fired up about — how smaller communities deliver effective healthcare, and focusing on what it […]
Meet Abigail Moffett, a rising second-year student at UW School of Medicine’s Alaska Foundations site! Abigail kicked off her RUOP rotation in Juneau on June 29th. As a TRUST student, she’s stepped in with an existing connection to the community. “Juneau has been a wonderful place as a TRUST site in my experience, and both […]
For many University of Washington School of Medicine students, a 699 rotation offers a chance to customize a clinical experience around a specific area of interest. These special assignment electives allow students to complete clinical training at approved sites throughout the WWAMI region, providing hands-on learning opportunities beyond the standard curriculum. For Alaska WWAMI student […]
For Alaska WWAMI medical student Mauri Butzke, arriving at her TRUST community in Kodiak was more than the start of a clinical placement, it was her first lesson in rural medicine. Reaching Kodiak required a six-hour drive from Anchorage to Homer, followed by a 14.5-hour journey aboard the Tustumena, part of the Alaska Marine Highway […]
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 […]
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 […]
