In this episode of CLIMEcast, CLIME Associate Director Kate Mulligan speaks with Dr. Barb Doty, Assistant Clinical Dean of the Alaska WWAMI Medical Program, for a conversation on the art and science of Arctic medicine. A WWAMI graduate and family physician of 35 years in Wasilla, Dr. Doty co-championed the original design of the Alaska Family Medicine Residency Program and is now helping launch a second residency and teaching health center in the Palmer-Wasilla area.

The conversation opens with a cameo from Dr. David Compton, an OBGYN in Bethel, who shares firsthand stories of practicing medicine along the Kuskokwim River, from navigating medevac transport during spring breakup to managing obstetric emergencies with limited resources. Drawing on his stories and her own decades of experience, Dr. Doty unpacks the realities of Arctic practice: the challenges of distance and limited resources, the resourcefulness required to work outside traditional guidelines, and the historical and cultural context shaping mental health and wellbeing in Arctic communities.

The conversation also turns to training the next generation of physicians for remote practice. Dr. Doty describes the model behind Alaska's family medicine residency, built on early exposure to remote settings, cultural competency, and repeated opportunities to refine skills in the field before returning to practice independently.