Student doctor Safford is a second-year student, studying at the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine. She is the recipient of the Washington Osteopathic Medical Foundation scholarship.
Dr. Henrietta Mayuga has this to say about Alani, “Alani has a naturally inquisitive mind as well as a strong desire to learn and grow. She works extremely well with others and is friendly, personable, and an amazing team player. The extra effort she took to show she cared and to be as helpful as possible showed me just how much attention and care she would give to her patient as a physician.
“She is a hard worker and has completed many hours of community service both prior to and during her time in medical school. She has the perfect amount of empathy and social awareness and can read social cues very well. This is a crucial skill I look for in a physician.
“I believe she will be an excellent physician and would feel extremely comfortable to be under her care as a patient”.
Alani told us about her future goals and what’s important to her.
“As a future physician, I plan to remain in the northwest to practice medicine and eventually return to Washington state to be close to my family. I intend to keep my passion for serving others and be an active volunteer outside of my future practice. Ideally, I would like to work in an underserved area, where I can volunteer my free time to provide free physical exams, disease management, and treatments at a local free clinic. I also intend to offer my services to organizations that extend outside of the medical field, such as local food pantries. I have been very blessed with the strong familial support system that I have and want to give back by providing underserved communities with the same sense of belonging and support”.
Washington State will be lucky to have you, Alani. Job well done.