The University of Hawaiʻi at 惭ā苍辞补’s (JABSOM) is helping strengthen Guam’s future physician workforce by mentoring the next generation of aspiring doctors.
One of them is Eduardo Biala Jr., a recent graduate whose journey to medicine was inspired by watching family members travel off island to access specialty care.
“Seeing my family members navigate healthcare, having to go off-island to seek whatever specialty care they needed and being exposed to that is what kind of got me interested in medicine and I took a leap of faith,” Biala said.
That leap led him from the University of Guam to JABSOM through the ʻImi Hoʻōla Program. Now he mentors students on the same path through Chålan Åmte, a nonprofit founded by JABSOM students and alumni to support aspiring physicians from Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands.
Building Guam’s next healthcare generation
Current JABSOM student Mason Caldwell, Chålan Åmte’s executive director, said the organization has grown into a network of physicians, medical students and pre-medical students committed to strengthening Guam’s healthcare workforce.
“The direct translation of Chålan Åmte is ‘a pathway to healing’ and that’s one of the things that we’re trying to solidify and make sure it will continue after us,” Caldwell said.
Members mentor students through the medical school application process and regularly return home to connect with aspiring physicians.
For Caldwell, Chålan Åmte is creating the support system many of its members never had. Instead of relying on word-of-mouth or internet searches, today’s pre-medical students can connect with mentors early and receive guidance throughout the application process. He hopes Chålan Åmte will continue serving as a resource for future physicians while strengthening connections between Guam, the Marianas and JABSOM.
Biala noted that despite the physical distance, he remains deeply connected to the island and finds the work of Chålan Åmte highly rewarding.
“For me, when I hear that they got into JABSOM, I think ‘Yes! You’re going to love it there!’” he said.
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