As Alaska’s medical school, the WWAMI program prepares Alaskan residents to be the future physicians and surgeons for our state.
doctor of medicine (m.d.)
In partnership with the University of Washington School of Medicine, UAA is the Alaska regional site for WWAMI School of Medicine, a collaborative, high-quality medical school with a focus on community health care that has trained more than 500 physicians and surgeons since 1971. Spend your first 18 months of the program at UAA, taking foundational courses and learning basic clinical skills in local clinics and hospitals. After this you’ll begin your clinical years, which you can choose to spend in clinics and hospitals across Alaska or throughout the five-state WWAMI region. All students are required to spend a minimum of eight to 12 weeks in Seattle at University of Washington hospitals.
WHY CHOOSE doctor of medicine AT UAA?
Engage in active learning in small groups with expert faculty. Alaska WWAMI provides a greater focus on independent, life-long learning skills you’ll need to collaborate, grow and succeed in a rapidly changing healthcare environment.
Train in Alaska with over 200 Alaska physicians and surgeons preparing you to work in Alaskan communities. Unique Special Programs throughout the State from Utqiagvik to Unalaska to prepare you to work with rural and underserved communities
Learn from local expert faculty and physicians across multiple specialties with a small number of students to faculty ratio.
WWAMI is housed in the Health Sciences building with state of the art anatomy and simulation labs as well as a classroom with advanced teaching technologies. In close proximity to other health programs allowing Interprofessional educational opportunities.
NEWS & Stories
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 UAA Justice Center celebrated its 50th anniversary with a special legislative citation presented by Alaska state legislators. The citation recognized decades of impactful research, education, and public service in Alaska.
On September 27, the women’s volleyball team invited faculty to join them on the court for Faculty & Staff Appreciation Night. Among the honorees were four standout educators from the College of Health, each nominated by students.
MiLee Yu is a graduate of the University of Alaska Anchorage’s Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program, and is currently pursuing a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree. In September 2025, MiLee was awarded the BSW Student of the Year award at the Biennial National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Alaska Chapter Conference.
Oct. 3, 2025, was a big day for the Alaska Area Health Education Center (AHEC), which is proudly housed within the UAA College of Health! AHEC marked its 20th anniversary with a special legislative citation from the Alaska State Legislature—a well-deserved recognition for two decades of crucial work.
Message from the ASSISTANT DEAN
Thank you for your interest in the WWAMI School of Medical Education. This decentralized medical education program through the University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM) combines the strengths and talents of Universities across a 5 state region (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho) to train physicians and surgeons in their own states initially and then across the 5 state region. If you are Alaskan and interested in serving your local Alaskan community we would be delighted to hear from you.
-Nicholas Phelps, Ph.D., Assistant Dean and Term Associate Professor, UAA WWAMI School of Medical Education and Foundations Assistant Dean, UW School of Medicine
PROGRAM INFORMATION
Contact Us
Phone: (907) 786-4789
Email: uaa_wwami@alaska.edu
University of Alaska Anchorage
Health Sciences Building
3795 Piper Street, Suite 301
Anchorage, Alaska, 99508
Mailing Address
Alaska WWAMI
3211 Providence Drive, HSB 301
Anchorage, Alaska, 99508
