Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM) is a nonprofit, four-year MD program enhancing allopathic medical education with art, humanities, and whole health principles.
The School’s culture embraces self-care to empower students to care for their own well-being as well as that of their patients. The School has been granted preliminary accreditation status by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education and welcomed its inaugural class in July 2025.
Mission
Alice L. Walton School of Medicine trains physicians who are devoted to transforming the health of medically underserved and rural communities in Arkansas, its surrounding states, and beyond. AWSOM physicians make a difference by pioneering whole health principles, deploying contemporary technologies, and developing novel partnerships to bridge the gaps to high quality medical care and to promote health and well-being for all individuals and communities.
Vision
Equip and support physicians and health professionals to successfully tackle the health care challenges of the 21st century.
Values
Empathy We intentionally understand people’s experiences by imagining what it would be like to be in their situation to build medical care and education around what really matters to each individual.
Self-care We take an active role in protecting one’s own well-being. Only by caring deeply for students, faculty, and staff, we’ll be able to grow the best physicians and caretakers.
Humanism We believe humans have the right to shape their own lives. We connect to individuals strive to inspire them to live fulfilling lives.
Entrepreneurialism We have a mindset and a set of skills to pursue our mission. We identify opportunities and make progress inspired by our mission.
Community Focus We acknowledge, honor and work alongside our communities. We support their needs to ensure quality health care.
AWSOM's Founder
Philanthropist Alice Walton founded the School of Medicine in 2021 to improve health and well-being by creating a new pipeline of physicians for the future. Based on her own health care experiences, she recognized the need for a whole-person approach to include physical, behavioral, spiritual, and socioeconomic well-being.
