Alice Walton notes ‘special day’ at the AWSOM ceremonial opening

The inaugural class of medical students at the Alice Walton School of Medicine^[1] (AWSOM) in Bentonville began studies in mid-July^[2] but the ceremonial opening was Wednesday (Oct 29), with Alice Walton delivering an emotional address.

“I didn’t expect to be overwhelmed this morning, but I am,” Walton said. “I’m truly overwhelmed. I cannot believe that we’re all actually here. It’s a special day in my life. When I founded AWSOM in 2021, I knew it had to be on the Crystal Bridges campus^[3]. I long looked and searched for a way to integrate both from the art side and the healthcare side, those two industries, because I think they need each other.”

“Having a med school here on the Crystal Bridges campus was one of the goals, as well as locating the Whole Health Institute here,” she continued. “The vision was based on a new kind of med school, one that would transform the next generation of physicians based on what communities need now, not just disease care, but whole person care, prioritizing keeping people healthy, not just seeing them when they’re sick.”

Walton handed out several thank-you messages during her brief speech. She said her vision included a campus where students, staff and faculty would be surrounded by art, nature and amazing architecture. Walton praised principal architect Wesley Walls and the team at Polk Stanley Wilcox, Scott Eccleston with Art and Wellness Enterprises, and Crossland Construction.

“You know, one of my personal goals was to show off Arkansas in this endeavor,” Walton said. “We have a long history of great architecture here, and I’m so proud to say, you know, we did this locally. The construction was completed in 28 months, which is amazing given the incredible quality and execution by the entire team at Crossland. Oh, we also had a small tornado in the middle of that.”

The modern building design mimics nature in the Ozarks and the green rooftop, which can be accessed by the Crystal Bridges trail system, is the largest living roof in the region, spanning two acres. It also provides energy efficiency for the 154,000-square-foot facility, according to Walls.

“From the beginning, our team envisioned a building deeply inspired by the Ozark landscape,” Walls said. “The building’s cantilevered structure is a reflection of the natural bluff shelters of our region, and just as they served people thousands of years ago, this modern-day shelter invites the community into a space of healing and learning. It reflects the school’s mission to care for the whole person. Balance with nature is integrated throughout the design of the building.”

Walton also extended a huge thank you to Lloyd Minor, dean of the Stanford University School of Medicine, who mentored her throughout the process.

“He’s another great Arkansan, and most people don’t know that,” she said. “Lloyd was one of the first people I met and discussed this idea for AWSOM. It was his support from the very beginning that encouraged me to take on this dream within a space that I knew I didn’t know much about. It was Lloyd’s support and belief that we could do it, and his leadership really allowed this to happen.”

Dr. Sharmila Makhija, the founding executive dean and CEO of the AWSOM, joined the effort in 2023, saying she worked off-site amid the building of renderings that were hung on the wall, with the future still on paper.

“The 2021 dream was to build a medical school that would transform how we train the next generation of physicians,” she said. “Her (Alice’s) generosity, kindness, vision and relentless strive to improve lives throughout health and the arts are truly inspiring, and I’m honored to call her a mentor and a friend.”

She also thanked AWSOM’s faculty of 19 and her team of nine executive leaders who help run the day-to-day operations of the medical school.

The inaugural class of 48 students are from 19 states, and a third of them are from Arkansas. They speak 13 languages, and one in five are first-generation college graduates in their families.

“As we cut this ribbon today, we open more than doors,” said Dr. Yolangel Hernandez Suarez, executive vice dean at AWSOM. “We are opening a new chapter of medical education in the United States, one that is rooted in compassion, driven by innovation, and inspired by the belief that health care can and must be better.”

Rylie Poling is among the first class of medical students. She is from Southwest Missouri and did her undergraduate studies at the University of the Ozarks in Branson.

Wanting to be a doctor since the age of three, Poling said she’s excited to be part of the first class. The tuition-free benefit was also a huge bonus. But more than that, Poling said she is a fan of holistic medicine and advocating for healthy living instead of just treating patients’ illnesses.

“I hope to practice in internal medicine and eventually specialize in rheumatology,” she said. “The faculty here is great and really focused on helping us learn. It’s a lot, but very exciting.”

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