Student Clubs

FMIG collaborates with GME for residency networking; We provide events to students interested in FM; and work with 3 large family physician organizations (ACOFP,  AAFP,  WAFP) and are a chapter of ACOFP and WAFP.

Activities: (free) National memberships to ACOFP and WAFP, Primary Care Week, Family Medicine Residency Panels, Punch Biopsy Clinic, Dinner with a Doc, Collaboration with Central Washington Family Residency, WAFP Student-Resident Retreat,  Red Cross Blood Drive, Volunteer opportunities with Memorial Hospital, regular monthly meetings, and many more!

Dues: Free

This club is only open to PNWU-COM students. 

Contact: Jacky Marr

The purpose and mission of the PNWU AMMSA is to provide a space for students at PNWU that identify with, or are interested in, the Islamic faith. The AMMSA aims to create such a space where students can connect with one another, have access to Muslim resources in the Yakima area, and establish an organization that will be a liaison between PNWU and the Muslim student body. AMMSA also aims to inform future healthcare providers on the customs and traditions of Islam to provide quality healthcare for patients of Muslim faith.

Activities: Weekly Jummah on campus; Annual PNWU Community Iftar

Dues: None

This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Shah Yousuf

The primary goal of the Anesthesiology Club is to bring exposure to the field of anesthesia to campus.  We also aim to gain broad interest by focusing on topics and skills that apply across many fields.  Close communication with peers will be key to maximizing this goal.

Activities: TBA

Dues: None

This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Kassie Thomazin

The goal of this club is to promote dissemination of information relative to Asian Pacific American issues in the field of medical education, explore/resolve challenges specific to Asian Pacific American medical students and physicians, and provide opportunities for Asian Pacific American medial students to give back to their community through service.

Activities: TBA

Dues: Local Chapter: Free; National Chapter: $15

This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Collin-Kazu Lewis

Purpose: The Black and African American Affinity Group (BAAAG) exists to create a supportive, affirming space for students who identify as Black or African American. Our mission is to build community, celebrate culture, and empower students through connection, mentorship, advocacy, and cultural awareness.

Activities:

• Monthly meetings (first Monday of each month) focused on peer support and community building.
• Signature events such as the Black History Month Panel (highlighting Black contributions to healthcare with guest speakers and discussion).
• Lunch & Learn sessions – student-led educational and cultural discussions.
• Opportunities for academic support, mentorship, and professional development.
• Annual team-building activity to strengthen relationships among members and foster a supportive peer network.
• Collaboration with other student groups and community outreach initiatives.

Dues: There are no mandatory dues for membership. If dues are ever proposed to support events or initiatives, they would require approval by a majority vote of members.

Membership: Membership is open to all PNWU students across all departments who identify as Black and African American and support the missions and values of BAAAG. Students may join by attending a meeting and signing up through the group’s roster.

Contact: Theresa Prusha

With an emphasis on private practice, this club aims to acquaint students to challenges outside of medicine to prevent financial mistakes. This club hopes to invite doctors, their group, team, and/or associates for different medical/business/law specialties and geographic areas to discuss how to start and maintain a practice and essentially a career. Passing on lessons from experience is essential for the growth of PNWU individuals and the community they serve.

Activities: TBD

Dues: None

This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Tristan Bennett

The CMDA Club motivates, educates and equips Christian healthcare professionals to glorify God by serving with professional excellence as witnesses of Christ’s love and compassion to all people, and advancing biblical principles of healthcare within the church and to our culture.

The views, information, and opinions held by the CMDA do not necessarily represent those of PNWU and its employees. PNWU is not responsible for and does not verify any of the information contained within the CMDA.

Activities: BBQ, Worship Nights, Physician Speakers, Outreach at UGM

Dues: None

This club is only open to PNWU-COM students. 

Contact: Richie Hochrein

It is the purpose of the PNWU Dermatology Club to present aspiring osteopathic dermatologists. This is accomplished through the following activities:

1. Providing osteopathic medical students with an early exposure to the field of dermatology.
2. Stressing the understanding of osteopathic principles in relationship to disease in the practice of dermatology.
3. Contribute to the interest, knowledge, welfare, and education of osteopathic medical students in the specialty of dermatology.
4. Familiarize its members with the purpose and ideals of osteopathic medicine and dermatology.
5. Keep members informed of the latest developments in the field of dermatology.

Activities: TBA

Dues: None

This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Jake Israni

The Pacific Northwest University Emergency Medicine Club (PNWU-EM Club) was established to provide Health Professional Students attending Pacific Northwest University with information and opportunities related to emergency medicine. PNWU-EM club strives to further students’ knowledge and interest in emergency medicine as well as interprofessional medical practices. PNWU-EM is a student chapter of the American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians (ACOEP) Resident Student Organization (RSO) and a registered Emergency Medicine Interest Group (EMIG) associated with the Emergency Medicine Resident’s Association (EMRA).

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Activities: Guest Lectures (EM alumni residents and attendings, PD/FD/EMS, critical care flight teams, other Allied Health Professionals), Skills Labs (splinting, management of the trauma patient, airway labs, MCI provider training, resuscitation team dynamics), suture clinics, chest tube/pigtail catheter lab (cadaver lab), central line training, focused radiology and ultrasound training, residency resources, community education events, journal clubs..

Dues: 

• ACOEP student dues – $10 annually

This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Adam Binzak

The mission of PNWU Global/Public Health Club is to enhance students understanding of Global Health issues and how to actively participate in solutions as medical students.

Activities: World Wise Wednesdays, Summer International Travel Event, Run For Your Life, Guest Speaker

Dues: None

This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Anna Chiang

The Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) chapter at PNWU-COM serves to recognize students and faculty who exemplify leadership, dedication to service, and humanistic attributes of integrity, compassion, altruism, respect, excellence, and empathy in clinical care. Membership in GHHS carries a lifelong responsibility to model, serve, support, and advocate for compassionate, patient-centered care.

Activities: PNWU Didactic Lecture Series, Solidarity Week, Tell Me More, Virtual Peer Mentoring, Remember Your Why

Dues: None

This club is only open to PNWU-COM students. 

Contact: Tanner Chase

The goal is to allow students to interpret the facts of a given case and use their own clinical reasoning to move forward in a stepwise fashion.  We provide bi-weekly physician speakers.

Activities: Physician lectures and cases

Dues: Free!

This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Alexia Caposio

The purpose of this club is to help build and expand infectious disease knowledge among PNWU-affiliated professional students.  The goals of the club include prevention and treatment of infectious diseases most prevalent in the PNW, raising awareness about global infectious diseases, and promotion advancements in the field of infectious disease.

Activities: Annual Flu Clinic, Guest Speaker Events, Microbiology Jeopardy, Infectious Disease Awareness Events, Infectious Disease Review Question Series, and more!

Dues: None

This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Sophia McMonagle

The purpose of this club shall be to foster professional growth and career development of osteopathic medical students of the Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine who are interested in the field of internal medicine and its sub-specialties.

Activities: Guest speaker events with Internal Medicine subspecialists. Community service events. connections to two national organizations. Inter professional collaborations.  Mentorship program connecting current medical students with school alumni in internal medicine residency. Case study sessions.  

Dues: None

This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Michelle Graham

The LDSSA helps students and their families attending PNWU have a balanced secular and spiritual educational experience during their years of formal education emphasizing mind, body, and spirit. Weekly meetings brings constant nourishment to the draining healthcare studying experience.

Activities: We host a weekly meeting to provide spiritual balance for club members. We also host an annual Trunk-or-Treat event for the campus community.

Dues: No dues

This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Derek Brunson

The Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA) is a network of students, alumni, and health professionals who are interested in the health and well-being of the Latino community, dedicated to providing social and professional support for Latino students and committed to increasing cultural awareness within our medical school community. LMSA was founded in 1986 to increase the number of Latinos and other underrepresented students in medical schools throughout the country.

Anyone, Latino or not, is welcome to participate. If you are interested in working with underserved populations as a medical student/future physician, and/or if you want to reduce healthcare disparities through cultural awareness and community service involvement, then this is the group for you.

Dues: Interested students can pay membership fees to become a member on the National LMSA website here: https://national.lmsa.net/join/member-registration/. These fees are annually renewable.

This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Gabriela Gomez

The LGBTQ+ Alliance for Health is a platform for education regarding LGBTQIA+ issues and interests as they pertain to the medical field. As student doctors, we unite to promote these interests in our school, the Yakima community, and the nation. We recognize the general lack of competence with LGBTQIA+ healthcare and the repercussions it has on our community. By providing education and advocacy, we will work to improve current protocols and promote best practices that are inclusive of diverse genders and sexual orientations.  We approach the challenges experienced by the LGBTQ+ community with an intersectional perspective to acknowledge disparate hardships, especially for people of color, transgender and gender-nonconforming patients, and we are committed to promoting equality and respect for all. 

Activities: Yakima Pride, guest speakers, and social events.

Dues: None.

This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Maddox Allen

Medicinal Plant Club is an unaffiliated student chapter that strives to build community through a shared, mutual appreciation and interest for our natural world and the direct link it has on human health and disease. Our goal is to educate and increase awareness of these reciprocal and balanced relationships between our environment and health outcomes through service and active engagement with the biosphere. We propose to utilize the PNWU community garden as a learning tool to familiarize students with common medicinal plants that are found locally within the PNW and are often used in traditional and Western practices.

Dues: None

This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Lily Thompson

1. Our mission is to advance the understanding of the neurological basis of psychiatric disorders, the psychiatric manifestations of neurological disorders, and/or the evaluation and care of persons with neurologically based behavioral disturbances.
2. By working with community members and professionals who have lived or worked with neurological, psychiatric and behavioral disorders, we strive to increase the quality and quantity of medical school education on behavioral medicine & to develop a network of trained mental health professionals as advisors for medical students. 
3. To educate medical students about the relevance of mental health and its pertinence to physical health & to promote student awareness and participation in issues within Neuropsychiatry Behavioral Medicine.
4. NPBMC is dedicated to bringing opportunities to PNWU students that will enrich their understanding of neurological disorders & to provide information regarding educational opportunities to students interested in incorporating psychiatric medicine in their practice
5. NPBMC aims to offer alternative perspectives in furthering our understanding on the implications associated with a neurological, psychiatric, and behavior diagnosis. Through community outreach we hope to facilitate conversations which integrate opportunities for empathy, reflection and education

Activities: TBA

Dues: None

This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Natalie Musial

Purpose: The OB/GYN and Reproductive Health Club is dedicated to fostering a welcoming and inclusive space for all students interested in Obstetrics and Gynecology and its sub-specialties. Our mission is to promote awareness, advocacy, and education around reproductive health, with a focus on the unique challenges and disparities within the field. Through mentorship, clinical experiences, didactic programming, and service opportunities, we support trainees at every stage—from early interest to residency preparation—while encouraging meaningful connections with faculty and the broader community.

Dues: None

This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Morgan Rackley

• Increasing awareness and educating PNWU students about the breadth of cancer medicine and pathological advancement in the US, and its expanse across numerous specialties.
• Increasing awareness and understanding of the burden of cancer and its pathology in the Yakima Valley through community outreach and support, positioning PNWU to be a community resource.

Activities: TBA
Dues: none

This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Alex Puzon, Jeffrey Yeh

Purpose: To inspire and support medical students exploring orthopedic surgery through mentorship, hands-on learning, meaningful connections with peers, alumni, and leaders in the field

Activities: Alumni panels, suturing clinics, patient transfer clinic, journal club, casting event

Dues: None, or $100 for honorary members to be affiliated with AOAO

Membership: This club is only open to PNWU-COM students.

Contact: Julia Remlinger

The Partner Support Assocation is an organization created for and run by the significant others of PNWU students.  As spouses, fiances, boyfriends/girlfriends, partners and families of students, we support not only one another, but also our students as they become doctors! 

The PSA provides regular activities, events, and sub-clubs as a major resource of support to those supporting PNWU students. The PSA also serves to form friendships, find support, build networks, promote and contribute to the community, and discover the exciting things Yakima has to offer.

Please feel free to direct membership inquiries to saa.pnwu@gmail.com and a member of the current presidency will get back to you as quickly as possible!

The Pediatrics Club’s goal is to generate opportunities for students of PNWU to gain valuable experiences serving and interacting with the youth of Yakima. Possibilities may be clinical, educational, or just for the fun of being with kids! Our main opportunities are Mini Med School in the spring, YSD Sports Physical Volunteering, and other opportunities as they arise.

Activities: Mini Medical School, Yakima School District Sports Physical Volunteering, Guest Speakers, Children’s Village, and partnerships with other clubs and assorted opportunities throughout the year.

Dues: None, or $30 to join ACOP

This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Rica Perona

To raise awareness of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation’s role in patient care. Create an avenue for students to develop skills and knowledge that will benefit them in a career as a sports medicine physician.

To educate the PNWU student population about PM&R and Sports Medicine to increase their knowledge of the specialties.

To create opportunities for student participation in PM&R and Sports Medicine activities and facilitate placement of first-year members into related PM&R summer opportunities.

To serve as a resource for students interested in pursuing PM&R and Sports Medicine to increase successful matches into PM&R and Sports Medicine residencies.

Activities: PM&R residency director/practicing physician discussion on what is PM&R and when should a primary care doctor refer to a PM&R doctor. Sports Medicine: assist school sports events, Taping clinic, Concussion recovery info session, First aid at RFYL 5K

Dues: Free

This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Ryan Joiner

Purpose: The purpose of our organization shall be to offer opportunities to students at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences to explore the field of ophthalmology and learn more about eyecare in rural and underserved areas.

Activities: Ophthalmology panel speakers (topics include but are not limited to; subspecialties, rural eye care, residency, collaboration with other health specialties), skills labs; learn how to use the direct ophthalmoscope, slit lamp, check visual acuity, ancillary tests, opportunities for shadowing local ophthalmologists and optometrists, volunteer opportunities; Dinner in the Dark, vision screenings, information and tips on the San Francisco Match for residency, clinical case of the week, and more! We encourage all D.O. students to join the following two organizations; student membership is FREE: American Osteopathic Colleges of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (AOCOO-HNS), American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)

Dues: None

Membership: This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Amber Kisielewski

The PNWU Surgery Club was established as an avenue for the students of PNWU to gain insight and exposure to the world of surgical specialties. Yearly club events include national conference attendance, suture clinics, guest speakers, and community outreach events. PNWU Surgery Club is also a chapter of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons Medical Student Section (ACOS-MSS). ACOS-MSS represents and educates future osteopathic surgeons. ACOS-MSS stresses understanding of osteopathic principles in relationship to disease in the practice of surgery and provides a forum for discussion among students and surgeons.

Activities: Suture Clinics, Suture Competition, Surgeons Panel, Speakers, Run For Your Life First Aid Booth

Dues: National – $30, Local – $20

This club is open to all PNWU students.

President: Lewis Back

Vice-President: Lelia Rettig

National Liaison: Hunter DeTurk

Secretary/Treasurer: Allison Diaz

Purpose: Prevention & Lifestyle Medicine Club is PNWU’s student chapter of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. Our mission is to promote whole-person health through evidence-based, integrative approaches that address the root causes of illness. We focus on nutrition, movement, stress resilience, and community care – with an emphasis on accessibility, creativity, and collaboration.

Activities: Culinary medicine and nutrition demos, yoga and movement-based wellness, guest speakers in integrative and lifestyle medicine, community drives and outreach, outdoor activities and connection events, research and advocacy opportunities

Dues: None

Membership: This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Chhavi Shukla

Radiology club is a fun an low-key club to reinforce your knowledge of all systems, eat pizza and just have fun! We meet monthly to discuss fun radiology cases related to each classes current system, eat FREE pizza and other low-stress radiology related learning. We also host awesome pool parties and host a yearly trip to the Washington state radiologic conference in Seattle for anyone who is interested. Remember, you will all be sometimes-radiologists in whatever field you enter so might as well start today!

Activities: pool party, Washington State Radiologic Society field trip, monthly radiology discussion/pizza night

Dues: None

This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Warren Huang

Sigma Sigma Phi is the only national osteopathic honor society.  Acceptance is based on academic achievement, community service, and leadership.  Our club is dedicated to leadership through service and academic excellence.

Activities: OMS I Mentorship Seminars, Be The Match, Take Back Your Meds Event, Homeless Outreach (clothing and food drive)

Dues: National – $50 (dues include entire medical school career)

This club is only open to PNWU-COM students. 

Contact: Caila Tongco, Daniel Lee

Our mission is to cultivate a community within PNWU that embodies Sikh values of selfless service (seva), compassion, and inclusivity. Through these principles, we aim to support and empower Sikh and non-Sikh healthcare students in their professional and personal growth, while also contributing positively to the broader Yakima community.

This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Sejal Dhaliwal

Purpose: Informally known as “the OMT club”. The purpose of the SAAO is to provide students with a way to enhance their OMT education at PNWU by participating in various different activities on campus and in the community.  Our mission is to encourage and educate on different ways osteopathic manipulation can be used in practice, as well as to help educate others on the osteopathic profession including our unique tools and principles.

Activities: “Meet and Treat”, volunteer opportunities to practice OMT in the community (Run For Your Life 5K, Stand Down for veterans, etc.), faculty demonstrations, guest speakers, Fascial Distortion Module courses, AAO National Convocation.

Dues: (Optional) National SAAO membership $50; one-time fee for a 4-year membership that expires upon graduation. No required dues for chapter activities.

Membership: Non-DO students are allowed and encouraged to attend any chapter-specific event unless otherwise specified. National SAAO activities (or including membership on a CV/residency application) are limited to nationally registered members.

Contact: Claire Reuss

Purpose: The South Asian Medical Student Association (SAMSA) is a student-led organization dedicated to fostering community, professional development, and cultural awareness among medical students of South Asian heritage and those interested in South Asian health issues. SAMSA aims to: Promote unity and mentorship among South Asian medical students and professionals. Advocate for health equity by addressing disparities affecting South Asian communities. Celebrate and educate on South Asian cultural traditions and their impact on healthcare. Provide networking, research, and service opportunities related to South Asian health.

Activities: Networking night, Diwali and Holi celebrations

Dues: None

Membership: This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Deepthi Sathyanarayana

Purpose: The Spanish Club aims to address the language barriers and shortage of physicians who speak Spanish by creating opportunities for students to learn and practice medical Spanish, while also delving into our community’s culture and learning more about the barriers they face in attaining health.

Activities: La Casa Hogar, Diabetes Prevention Program, translating for organizations/community members, evening classes

Dues: None

This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Edith Luviano

Purpose: The Student Activist Coalition is a combination of Students for a National Health Program (SNaHP) and Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility (WPSR).

SNaHP is the student arm of Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), a long-standing national organization of more than 20,000 doctors and medical professionals advocating for single-payer reform. We advocate for health justice, racial justice, and economic justice. SNaHP chapters across the country have been involved in direct action, campus-based organizing, and educational efforts in support of single-payer reform.

WPSR is a health professional-led advocacy organization working to create a healthy, just, peaceful, and sustainable world through advocacy and action. Our focus is on three main topics: nuclear weapons abolition, economic inequity, and the climate crisis. Our health professional voices educate the public, influence decision-makers, and promote policies that support our mission.

Activities: DO Day Advocacy Workshops, WPSR Health Justice Gala, Voter Registration Efforts, Letter Writing Campaigns, Educational Talks

Dues: None

Membership: This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Simi Kaur

Our club serves as a resource for current and past military members, providing a supportive network between HPSP students and our peers interested in supporting the military and veterans of our community.

Activities: Lunch discussions about Military Medicine, Networking with past and present HPSP members, Volunteering with local veterans

Dues: None

This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Cailin Bennett

SNMA: an interdisciplinary group of PNWU-COM students working together with the local and academic community to serve as a credible and accurate source of information relevant to minority issues in the field of medical education.  To encourage and foster the development of minority faculty in order to increase the presence of minority mentors and biomedical researchers in academic health centers. To evaluate and cultivate the necessary measures to eradicate practices in the field of health profession education that compromises the goal of providing quality education to minorities and women.  To empower those in the community who feel less privileged and may not feel that they may be able to receive higher education.

First Generation: our mission is to reach out to pre-med students who are the first generation in their families to pursue higher education. Our leadership realized that despite our diverse cultural upbringings, we faced and overcame similar obstacles when navigating through the medical school path and system. Our hope is to inspire students that a path to medicine is possible and to be a resource/mentor for high school and undergraduate students.

Activities:  TBD

Dues:  None are required except at the national level

This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Alessandra de la Cruz

PNWU-COM is located in Yakima in the heart of Central Washington characterized by medically underserved and rural populations. Our SOMA chapter remains committed to maintaining an active role in health policy, with annual advocacy events through DO Day where PNWU students meet with state legislatures to advocate for pertinent topics for the community and healthcare. We advocate for patients and the future of the Osteopathic profession by working closely with state legislators to address issues such as loan forgiveness, residency placement for medical students, rural healthcare access, and more. Our chapter focuses on providing tools, resources, and workshops geared towards developing the professional identity of current medical students as advocators both on a local and a national level. Moreover, PNWU-COM SOMA is invested in the local community through various programs and projects targeted towards mentoring underprivileged students in science, caring for special needs, advocacy panels, premedical outreach, resolution writing workshops, and raising awareness on topics pertaining to social justice and health disparities.  PNWU-COM has been a strong voice in advocacy and resolutions to National SOMA and the AOA and work closely in collaboration with SGA and clubs on the PNWU campus. As PNWU-COM SOMA continues to prosper, students continue to use their passion and their voice in service to the local community, greater healthcare community, and most importantly, their future patients

Activities: Resolution Writing Workshops, House of Delegates Updates, DO Day on Capitol Hill, Overdose Prevention Workshops, Developmental Medicine Volunteer efforts, DEI Workshops, and Pre-SOMA mentorship opportunities.

Dues: None – students are automatically enrolled at matriculation.

This club is only open to PNWU-COM students. 

Contact: Celine Zalamea

Purpose: To enhance the knowledge of the field of Urology through education and advocacy. To deliver knowledge about the field of urology through education and advocacy. Providing education, research, and networking opportunities for PNWU Urology club members.

Activities: TBD

Dues: None

Membership: This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Steve Zeka

Our purpose is to provide an avenue for education of wilderness medicine and other outdoor skills, including first aid, search and rescue, survival, and other environmental concerns.

Activities: Guest speakers (critical incident stress management, high altitude cases, unique career paths in remote medicine, etc), on-site training opportunities and workshops (improvisation techniques, MCI training with EM, etc), plus member meetings, community events, other social/recreational events throughout the year.

Dues: $5

This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Becca Smith

“The purpose of our organization is to foster and support women in the medical field while creating a professional environment that is beneficial to everyone. The mission of our organization shall be to encourage women, anyone that identifies as female, that careers in STEM are obtainable and inspire them to follow their passions. Finally, to fight against healthcare-related injustices on a local, state, and federal level.”

Activities: Women in Medicine Panel, Bingo with Dr. O, access to regional conferences, trivia nights and more!

Dues: None

This club is open to all PNWU students.

Contact: Taylor Leistiko