Alaska WWAMI community celebrates 50th anniversary

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(All photos by Vicki Nechodomu, communications director, UAA College of Health)

On Saturday, March 5, Alaska WWAMI medical students connected with faculty and alumni over cocoa, great conversation and winter festivities in celebration of 50 years of partnership between the University of Alaska Anchorage and the University of Washington School of Medicine. Alaska WWAMI grows the next generation of physicians and expands Alaskans’ access to a high-quality medical education.

Alaska WWAMI has trained more than 500 physicians since 1971. The UW School of Medicine and its WWAMI program has been ranked No. 1 in primary care education for most of the past nearly 30 years, and is currently ranked in the top two medical schools in the country for Family Medicine by U.S. News & World Report. About 60% of Alaska WWAMI graduates return to practice in Alaska and account for almost 14% of the state’s licensed physicians.

“We are proud to be Alaska’s medical school,” said Dr. Barb Doty, assistant clinical dean of Alaska WWAMI. “We are able to cost-effectively educate high-quality medical school candidates from Alaska who want to practice in Alaska.”