Demographic Information
Fitness/recreation areas available in the region:
It doesn’t get any better than Alaska; The Last Frontier, in terms of adventure, recreation, and outdoor sports of all kinds.
Housing:
We have long been aware of the housing problems that many PNWU students encounter during their 3rd and 4th years. Programs exist in Fairbanks to help students find and secure adequate housing so that the student is not distracted with housing concerns during clinical rotations. There is a stipend towards housing available through The Greater Fairbanks Community Hospital Foundation.
Length of time region has been training with PNWU students:
Since the first PNWU graduating class of 2012 (our first PNWU students rotated in 2010).
Preceptor/Rotation Information
The region will do their best to schedule core rotations within 50 miles one way from where didactics are held or from the satellite locations (a location for clinical rotations associated with a regional site). In the event that a core rotation occurs more than 50 miles from their assigned site, students may be eligible for a housing allowance and/or mileage stipend provided by PNWU.
4th year electives that have been successful in this region depending on availability:
- Anesthesiology
- Cardiology
- Dermatology
- Neurology
- Neurosurgery
- OMM
- Oncology
- Orthopedics
- Podiatry
- Sleep Therapy
Number of preceptors credentialed with PNWU to teach CORE rotations:
There are approximately 160 physicians and surgeons with privileges at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital.
Tanana Valley Clinic employs approximately 40 physicians and all have privileges at FMH.
Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center employs approximately 6 physicians and all have privileges at FMH.
There are 43 Clinical Adjunct Faculty teaching for PNWU. About 20 are teaching CORE Courses.
D.O. preceptors in the region (approx.): 23
M.D. preceptors in the region (approx.): 20
Rotations that provide inpatient experience:
- Behavioral Health
- Critical Care
- Internal Medicine
- Pediatrics
- Surgery
- Women’s Health
Rotations challenges in the region based on availability:
Sometimes Emergency Medicine is not possible in the Region. This is usually remedied with EMER MED rotations in other PNWU regions or Ft. Wainwright in Fairbanks.
Is there integration of other schools with PNWU students?
Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Women’s Health, Surgery, BEH MED, and Critical Care are the main inpatient rotations. It is rare that a PNWU student will share a preceptor with another non-PNWU student. However, sometimes there are other non-PNWU students that rotate with some other preceptor in the same department.
Residencies available in the region that PNWU students are involved in (didactics, rotations, etc.):
The only Residency in Alaska is the Alaska Family Medicine Residency in Anchorage. Students in this region are rarely in contact with these residents. The Alaska Pediatrics Track schedules Pediatrics Residents year around at Tanana Valley Clinic and PNWU students rotate with these residents during the Pediatrics CORE course. (http://akfmr.org/)
Opportunities to practice OMM:
Students consistently report that the region’s longitudinal, integrated OMM experience is one of the highlights of their clinical rotations.
Out-of-Region Expectations:
It is expected that a student may be required to rotate outside of their region for any unavailable core rotations.Please see student handbook for policies and procedures related to core rotations conducted out of region.
Didactics Information
Centralized Didactics are held every Wednesday afternoon from 1pm to 3pm AK. Students will join the online PNWU Centralized Didactics for the Clinical Didactics (CLIN 704) course.
Regional didactics, which are part of the Clinical Didactics (CLIN 704) course, are held every Wednesday as scheduled by the regional leadership and include various topics/activities.
Regional Didactic Lectures, Case Presentations, and Centralized Didactics are regularly scheduled on Wednesday afternoons from 3 pm to 4 pm AK or at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital. The time from 4 pm to 5 pm AK is devoted to Student Assignments which may be assigned by the Clinical Education Department or by the Fairbanks Region.
Core (3rd year) rotations available within driving distance (50 miles) of the didactics site?
For the most part, CORE rotations are available within 10 miles of the Didactics site.
Additional Information
Region strengths:
- It is likely that you will be able to complete all of your CORE Courses in Fairbanks.
- You will very likely have your entire 3rd year schedule fixed by September 15.
- The Assistant Dean and the Regional Site Administrator will take a personal interest in your housing situation.
- Response to your problems/difficulties is swift on the part of the Assistant Dean and the Regional Site Administrator.
- Very gifted and highly regarded faculty.
- Extremely good access and one-to-one teaching/student ratio. (No Residents to compete with except in Pediatrics.)
- Faculty that believes in encouraging you to practice at your limits in order to learn at the greatest competency level.
- The Region is situated in the least developed part of the United States and presents the greatest opportunities for adventure, recreation, and exploration.
- One of the most unique habitats and cultural sites in the world.
- Greatest community spirit bar none.
Why might a student choose this region over another?
Alaskans are obviously enthusiastic about where they live and we believe that the Great Land is the best place to live a full life. For most of us, the magnificence of the place was the major motivation for moving to Alaska. In addition to that reason, the community spirit that made Alaska famous in story and history books still exists in Fairbanks in a very powerful and palpable way. It has to be experienced to be understood. Those are good reasons to relocate here, but not even the tremendous ‘openness’ of the place is the ‘best’ reason. The best reason is the quality of the faculty here. Not only do we have a faculty of the highest educational quality, but you are given the greatest scope possible to achieve your greatest potential according to your own skill and intellectual development. You will be welcome here and you will be taught by faculty that understands what it means to achieve a rewarding and meaningful education.
Student/Resident Information: (as of AY 22-23)
Number of OMS3 Students Rotating in Region: 4
Number of OMS4 Students Rotating in Region: 4-5
Alumni in Residency Programs (Alaska totals): 48
Alumni practicing in the regions (Alaska totals): 29
% of PNWU-COM matriculations from regions (Alaska totals): 3.0%
Additional information:
Alaska is beautiful, rugged, unforgiving, and extremely rewarding. These aspects of life on the Last Frontier intrigue and reward those who are not bothered with irritations, bad weather, and cranky machines (at 40 below). If you have a low threshold of tolerance for these sorts of things, Alaska may not be your cup of tea. However, if the notion that ‘adventure’ is just another word for ‘inconvenience’ doesn’t bother you or dissuade you, I suspect that you are just the right sort of student for the Fairbanks Region.
Regional Site Staff
Assistant Dean:
Lance Dunlop, MD
ldunlop@pnwu.edu
Address used for Site Selection: 1650 Cowles St Fairbanks, Ak 99701
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