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Story of Commitment
- 1. Story of Commitment The McWilliams Family, Justin, Ryan, DeLoss and Thomas at home in False Pass, Alaska. What does life in the Alaskan Bush and innovative medical education have in common? For Dr. Thomas E. McWilliams, D.O., FACOFP, it is his Public Health commitment to serve. As one of the first physicians to receive a Public Health Service Scholarship, Dr. McWilliams service connects the dots between childhood interests, future career direction, and the continuation of family tradition. McWilliams was raised with the rigors and satisfaction of rural life. His father and grandfather, both rural Physicians, served farming communities in Iowa. As a boy, McWilliams was fascinated with Native American Populations and the varied cultural activities to which he was exposed. However, like many National Health Service Corps (NHSC) scholars and clinicians, it was the increasing cost of medical education that initially inspired him to pursue Public Health Service. Dr. McWilliams applied and was awarded a Public Health Scholarship in exchange for a commitment to serve the Indian Health Services (IHS). Following his favorite senior rotation with IHS in Fort Belknap, Montana and the completion of his postgraduate training, Dr. McWilliams transferred with his wife and young son to an IHS facility in South Central Alaska. One of just 10 physicians in a high volume practice, McWilliams served a vast geographical area, including the remote Kodiak and Aleutian Islands. A rapid introduction to the diverse medical need of the native people helped Dr. McWilliams crystalize his interests in the emergent discipline of Emergency Medicine. Friendship and affinity with Alaskan Natives inspired Dr. McWilliams to participate in the development of a corps of Community Health Aides. As community elders and healers, Community Health Aides were revered by their villages, but often had little formal education. Equipped with satellite phones and intensive training, Community Health Aides assisted McWilliams and his associates in the diagnosis and delivery of simple care to those in the most inaccessible regions of Alaska. Alaska Natives in need of complex care, as identified by radio or (eventually) telephonic consultation between Doctor and Community Health Aide, were transported by bush plane into the IHS medical facility. The dedication of Dr. McWilliams and his associates and their novel practice of rural medicine, dramatically improved access to care and health outcomes for the Alaskan population. Two years of Public Health obligation "exceeded all expectations" and quickly extended to seven years of total service with the IHS in the Alaskan frontier. The birth of his second son prompted the desire for a sabbatical, but did not return the family of four to the contiguous 48. Instead, the McWilliams family camped in sleeping bags and built a permanent home near False Pass, a tiny Aleutian Island village over 700 miles from a connected road. The pause in service gave the family much needed time together and their adventure continued with biking tours through New Zealand, Fiji, England, Spain and Portugal. By the time the family returned to the mainland, McWilliams commitment to expanding the access to healthcare was driving his career choices. He went on to complete fellowships in Rural Medicine, National Health Policy, Leadership, and Teaching and Learning. Today, McWilliams serves as Interim Dean and clinical professor of the A.T. Still University, School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU/SOMA). Champions of innovative medical education and community service, ATSU/SOMA educates students to better meet the primary healthcare needs of our evolving society, especially in rural communities and among vulnerable populations. In partnership with the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), ATSU recruits students with the "heart to serve" and delivers medical education in clinical context. Educating medical students using the Clinical Presentation Curricular Model, SOMA emphasizes inductive reasoning and teaches students to think like expert learners. Student feedback on issues like the social determinants of health and health disparities are integrated into the curriculum, refining clinical schemes and preparing students to confront the dynamic medical needs of diverse communities. The McWilliams Family, Justin, Ryan, DeLoss and Thomas at home in False Pass, Alaska.
- 2. Medical students are matched to one of 11 community campuses located across the USA (from Hawaii to New York) for second, third and fourth year education. The community campuses provide a team of physicians to train small groups of students (7-10) within a relevant clinical context. Based on this cognitive theory of learning, this approach improves the retention of material and keeps students connected to the communities most needing their service. Three centers are available in Arizona through partnership with The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) including North Country Community Health Center in Flagstaff; El Rio Health Center in Tucson, and Adelante Healthcare in Surprise. In 2011, the first class of ATSU/SOMA graduated and entered residency programs. Over 80% of the graduates are committed to practicing in Primary Care/NACHC needed specialties and 15 have gone on to residency programs here in Arizona. The Healing Touch" by DeLoss McWilliams, a depiction of A.T. Stills M.D.,D.O., which graces the entry to the ATSU/SOMA Mesa Campus. Medical education and decisions about how and to whom education is delivered can inadvertently define and limit the recipients of medical care. Past emphasis on academic institutions as the centers of medical education has resulted in a healthcare workforce that is disproportionally distributed across sub specialties and urban locations. Dr. McWilliams and his colleagues at ATSU/SOMA have engineered an educational institution designed to "train compassionate family medicine and primary care physicians who are technologically adept, prevention oriented, and who are lifelong learners and teachers" through contemporary medical education and a social mission to serve the true medical needs of our society. Research suggests that the best way to recruit and retain physicians in high-need communities is to select medical students from similar environments and provide competency and training within the community setting. Perhaps more by intuition, than strategic plan, the McWilliams family has a long-standing family tradition of community service that extends four generations. Both the McWilliams children are physicians and continue the legacy of service that began in the Iowa frontier so many years ago. Dr. Ryan McWilliams, their oldest son, was born six weeks before they moved to Alaska and has returned there to serve as a Family Medicine physician in the same system of care served by his father. Dr. Justin McWilliams is an Interventional Radiologist who is on the faculty at UCLA. Dr. McWilliams spouse for almost 42 years, DeLoss, is a professional artist. Her painting "The Healing Touch" graces the entry to the ATSU/SOMA Mesa campus. Thomas E. McWilliams, D.O., FACOFP may be reached at (480) 219-6053 or by email at tmcwilliams@atsu.edu. "The Healing Touch" by DeLoss McWilliams, a depiction of A.T. Stills M.D.,D.O., gracing the entry to the ATSU/SOMA Mesa Campus.