Day: October 16, 2025

Service-Oriented  At just eight years old, Student Doctor Dakota Schumaker sat with his mother in the parking lot of a Walgreens. A member of the Ohio Army National Guard, she carefully removed his stitches herself — not out of choice, but necessity. The alternative was a two-to-three-hour drive to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base: time she couldn’t spare while balancing work…Continue Reading Mission Fit Spotlight: Student Doctor Dakota Schumaker, PNWU-COM Class of 2029

“Empathy is the compass.”   At low tide on Washington’s coast, the shoreline opens to ribbed sand and eelgrass. Shells clatter into a bucket and shimmer in the moonlight. One hand braces in the mud; the other rakes for clams. It’s where Student Doctor Dalton Edwards learned endurance—watching his father and grandfather, lifelong shellfish farmers, work through midnight tides and, eventually, chronic…Continue Reading Mission Fit Profile: Student Doctor Dalton Edwards, PNWU-COM Class of 2029 

“Committed to come back – and give back.” Fear was the first diagnosis PNWU Student Doctor Brian Buchanan remembers.   As a Yakima high schooler facing a stubborn, chronic infection, he worried about everything he might lose—sports, school, the simple joys of growing up. Then a local infectious disease physician met his fear with partnership.  “We were partners in…Continue Reading Mission Fit Spotlight: Student Doctor Brian Buchanan, PNWU-COM Class of 2029 

“Speak their language.” Growing up in rural Montana, Student Doctor Daysha Schell witnessed firsthand how her father’s asthma shaped their family life — from fearing ambulance costs to carrying an inhaler as a symbol of responsibility. Those experiences left an indelible mark, inspiring a lifelong commitment to serve patients who face barriers to care.  “The first thing…Continue Reading Mission Fit Spotlight: Student Doctor Daysha Schell, PNWU-COM Class of 2029

“Just as you are.”  Through PNWU’s mission, Student Doctor Cathy Trainor is finding that her fullest self — just as she is — is more than enough. In fact, it’s exactly what healthcare needs.  A former EMT from Big Sky, Montana, she’s witnessed firsthand how systemic inequities impact rural and migrant populations. “It’s never been about me,” says Student Dr. Trainor. “I have…Continue Reading Mission Fit Spotlight: Student Doctor Catherine Trainor, PNWU-COM Class of 2029 

“Find a school that mirrors your values.”  Student Doctor Andrea Perttula’s path to medicine was shaped not only by the physician shortages she witnessed in her home state of Idaho, but by the countless stories she carried as a volunteer crisis counselor — stories that revealed the deep, invisible wounds many carry alone.   For Student Dr. Perttula, medicine is…Continue Reading Mission Fit Spotlight: Student Doctor Andrea Perttula, PNWU-COM Class of 2029

“Curiosity built into purpose.”  From childhood curiosity to purposeful pursuit, Student Doctor Anna Karina’s journey to medicine has always been shaped by the stories of patients who are too often overlooked.   Her fascination with rare diseases began in elementary school and grew as she personally connected with friends navigating life with conditions like moyamoya, PKU, and porphyria….Continue Reading Mission Fit Spotlight: Student Doctor Anna Karina, PNWU-COM Class of 2029