by Greg Lincoln
Stephen Compton, the son of Bethel’s Dr. David Compton, is an Alaska WWAMI medical student. WWAMI stands for “Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho”, and since July 1st, Compton has been training closely with Dr. Megan Young at Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Regional Hospital in Bethel as part the Rural Underserved Opportunities Program (RUOP), a month-long elective for WWAMI medical students interested in rural medicine.
In Compton’s case, the Yukon Kuskokwim Health Corporation is the same hospital his father has worked at for over 10 years and where his stepmom is a physician assistant. It’s a full circle momentous event for the Compton family.
Compton is inspired and motivated to practice medicine in the 49th State. He is following in his father’s footsteps and he is here in Bethel until July 26th. Here is his statement.
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Hello Bethel, AK,
My name is Stephen. I was born in North Carolina but was largely raised in Anchorage, AK. Following high school, I attended Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) for undergrad where I majored in Biology with a minor in Environmental Studies. During my time at PLU, I had amazing opportunities that led me to apply to medical school.
I knew I wanted to stay in the state of Alaska long term and was lucky enough to be accepted to the University of Washington School of Medicine Alaska WWAMI campus allowing me to complete my first 2 years in Alaska.
Thank you for welcoming me to Bethel, AK.
Stephen Compton
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The Rural Underserved Opportunities Program (R/UOP) is a four-week, elective immersion experience in community medicine for students between their first and second years of medical school. During their four-week rotation, students live in rural or urban underserved communities throughout Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho (WWAMI ). They work side-by-side with local physicians providing health care to underserved populations.
