University of Alaska Anchorage

  • Alaska's Medical School

    The WWAMI medical education program has consistently ranked among the top ten medical schools in the United States by U.S. News and World Report and has ranked number one in primary care for over 20 years.

    Learn More about the WWAMI School of Medical Education

WWAMI is a collaborative medical school among universities in five northwestern states, Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho and the University of Washington School of Medicine.  The curriculum at each site has been standardized and is compatible with the University of Washington School of Medicine curriculum which integrates the basic and clinical sciences, and includes rural health care at an early time in medical education.  Alaska WWAMI provides Alaskans access to a high quality regional medical school.

The Alaska WWAMI Program began at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (as WAMI) in 1971. The program Moved to the University of Alaska Anchorage in 1989 and is currently in it's 45th year of successfully educating Alaska's physicians. 

Prospective students apply to the University of Washington School of Medicine; upon admission, Alaska's WWAMI students, starting in 2015, take classes at the University of Alaska Anchorage for the Foundations Phase, an 18 month experience for the equivalent of the first and second years of medical school.

The third and fourth years of the medical school curriculum are comprised of "clerkship" rotations in the various medical specialty areas. These clerkships may be taken in any of the five WWAMI states. Students who choose the "Alaska Track" can take nearly all of these clerkships in Alaska.

WWAMI Student Suturing

Curriculum

Our Curriculum features a more active classroom approach.  Clinical skills are taught in classroom, outpatient and hospital settings from the beginning.

WWAMI Students

News & Events

Congratulations to Dr. Kathy Young for receiving the Alaska Family Physician of the Year for her dedication to family medicine and underserved communities in Alaska.

Alaska Totem

Eligibility

Applicants must submit the Alaska WWAMI Eligibility Form and supplementary documentation to prove their eligibility as an Alaska resident by November 15.

Alaska WWAMI Premed Summit

Premed Advising

The goal of Premed Advising is to ensure each student optimizes his or her path to Medical School by taking full advantage of the resources available.

Rural Alaska physicians talk about WWAMI and their lives in Alaska

A collage of various photographs of rural Alaska healthcare professionals in various settings, including outside and in clinics

Native Alaskan health professional students share their personal experiences

Native Alaskan Health Professional Students Tod and Elise

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