Alumni Spotlight: Megan Adkins – UAA Health Sciences Provides A Pivotal Foundation to Caring for Elders
by Britteny M. Howell |
For Anchorage native Megan Adkins, UAA's Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences program was more than a stepping stone. It was the pivotal experience that shaped the course of her career. The program's broad, systems-level view of health gave her the foundation to pursue a doctorate in Occupational Therapy and, ultimately, to build a career helping elders across Alaska regain their independence. Looking back, Adkins credits the program's emphasis on the socioeconomic and cultural context of health with shaping how she approaches patient care today.
What first drew you to the BS in Health Sciences program at UAA, and what did you hope to do with the degree?
Going into college, Megan Adkins knew she wanted to work with people and help make a positive change in the community. Healthcare seemed like an amazing field to be in, but she knew she didn't want to just be a healthcare provider, she also wanted to understand how the community works together to bring new programs and opportunities to Alaska. That interest led her to Health Sciences.
How did the program prepare you for the work you're doing now?
“Taking into account not just the intricacies of my patient’s health histories but also the socioeconomic aspects of our lives and cultures have been very helpful in guiding me as a provider to find the ‘just right’ plan of care for my patients,” she said. Many of the Health Sciences courses, she noted, focus on building awareness of those macro-level impacts on individual lives.
What does a typical day look like in your current role, and what do you find most meaningful about it?
Megan Adkins currently works in a Skilled Nursing Facility as an Occupational Therapist, five days a week, with elders from across Alaska staying at the inpatient facility to help them regain their independence and return home after medical events. While many of her patients aren’t yet where they want to be, she takes pride in sharing small moments of comfort, humor, and growth, and in helping support them through their struggles — work she traces directly back to the whole-person, whole-community perspective she first developed as a Health Sciences student.
What advice would you give to a current Health Sciences student who's interested in a path like yours?
“Stay curious, and don’t feel like you have to have your entire career figured out when you start,” Megan Adkins said. “Health Sciences is such a broad field, and one of its strengths is that it can open doors to many different paths in healthcare and beyond. Take advantage of opportunities to learn from people in different professions and settings, and pay attention to the experiences that make you excited to keep learning. You may start with one idea of where you are headed and discover that your education gives you the opportunity to take a path you hadn’t originally considered.”
After earning her bachelor's in Health Sciences, Adkins went on to complete her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy through UAA’s OTD partner program with Creighton University. She now works as an OT in Anchorage at a skilled nursing facility, a career path she traces directly back to the foundation she built as a Health Sciences student at UAA, and is open to the possibilities life throws at her next.