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Medical Student Kyle Howarth Graduates Early to Begin Serving During Coronavirus Pandemic
A sense of professional duty and a desire to serve prompted fourth-year medical student Kyle Howarth to request early graduation from the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix.
“Graduating early allows me to be available to help the community and improve the current situation in many ways,” he said. “I will most likely be faced with this pandemic when residency begins; therefore, any extra experience I can absorb will only make me more capable as a resident physician.”
He said his family has always supported his dream of becoming a physician and they respect his decision to graduate early.
“I could not be more thankful to have an incredible support group throughout my medical school journey and future career,” Howarth said.
Although he has a sense of uncertainty, he said he’s proud to be able to call himself a physician and take an active role in the fight against COVID-19.
“I feel fortunate to have learned from skilled and knowledgeable physicians while on clinical rotations, and I will rely upon these experiences throughout the next step of my medical career,” he said. “The jump from student to practicing physician always involves a substantial learning curve, but I believe that graduating from the College of Medicine – Phoenix flattens the curve and gives me a head start when entering the workforce.”
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.