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Future Diagnostic Radiologist Eager to Help With Coronavirus Response
Alexia Tatem is one of 30 medical students from the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix who applied to graduate early to serve the health care community during the coronavirus pandemic.
In June, she will begin residency training in Phoenix, where she will spend a preliminary year before moving to the University of California, San Francisco to study diagnostic radiology.
“While I never anticipated graduating under these circumstances, I feel extremely fortunate for the opportunity to help when the medical community needs it most,” she said. “I wanted to become a physician to help others, and so I felt the need to graduate early, so I could be ready to help if the situation worsens.”
Tatem said she feels privileged to have completed medical school during this unprecedented time.
“I have just been trained with skills that I can use to make a difference and help those who really need it,” she said.
About the College
Founded in 2007, the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix inspires and trains exemplary physicians, scientists and leaders to advance its core missions in education, research, clinical care and service to communities across Arizona. The college’s strength lies in our collaborations and partnerships with clinical affiliates, community organizations and industry sponsors. With our primary affiliate, Banner Health, we are recognized as the premier academic medical center in Phoenix. As an anchor institution of the Phoenix Bioscience Core, the college is home to signature research programs in neurosciences, cardiopulmonary diseases, immunology, informatics and metabolism. These focus areas uniquely position us to drive biomedical research and bolster economic development in the region.
As an urban institution with strong roots in rural and tribal health, the college has graduated more than 1,000 physicians and matriculates 130 students each year. Greater than 60% of matriculating students are from Arizona and many continue training at our GME sponsored residency programs, ultimately pursuing local academic and community-based opportunities. While our traditional four-year program continues to thrive, we will launch our recently approved accelerated three-year medical student curriculum with exclusive focus on primary care. This program is designed to further enhance workforce retention needs across Arizona.
The college has embarked on our strategic plan for 2025 to 2030. Learn more.