Elizabeth Alex

As a first-year medical student who has not completed a full year of coursework, there is no doubt that Student Doctor Joseph Williams is committed to making an impact on his peers, the University and public health. Williams was recently honored by the Physicians Professional Advisory Committee of the U.S. Public Health Service with the 2023 Excellence in Public Health Award.

When KCU student doctors entered a makeshift clinic in the aldeas of Guatemala, they were greeted with a standing ovation. In this community comprised of all ages from newborn babies to elderly abuelas, access to medical care is something to applaud.

Carol Kirila, DO, KCU associate professor of Internal Medicine, says the kidneys are an organ many patients don’t know enough about. “Kidney disease is so silent and so forgotten. People don’t think about it and don’t know about it."