Welcome to Denali College, named after the centerpiece of America’s last frontier, the WWAMI state of Alaska. Denali and the vast diversity of peoples, cultures, geography, and natural beauty that surround it serve as an apt metaphor for the lifelong medical education experience to which you and we have all committed. Just as a ‘southerner’ cannot fully appreciate the wide spectrum of Alaska’s human and natural resources in a brief visit, it is not possible to comprehend the breadth and depth of continually evolving medical knowledge in a four-year curriculum. Thus, in the same metaphor, we as your Denali College faculty are your backcountry guides and bush pilots for this critical first step in medical education. Please join us as we learn together the language, the topography, and the culture of patient-centered medical care, as you develop and refine the tools and skills necessary for a successful and self-guided career in medicine.

 

Raye Maestas, MD Michele Despreaux, MD Karen McDonough, MD Sam Sharar, MD Diane Timberlake, MD, MA Jill Watanabe, MD, MPH Kyle Yasuda, MD