Lee McKoin, MD

Alaska Track sites: Fairbanks/Alaska Native Medical Center
Medical School: University of Washington School of Medicine

What are your interests in medicine?

Primary care; endocrinology; foster care medicine; taking care of trans and nonbinary kids and kids of trans parents; the HEADDSSS exam; challenging racism, gender bias, and anti-fat bias in our medical systems and practices; promoting strengths in alternative and chosen family structures

What drew you to the Alaska Track?

Working and living in smaller communities, rural medicine problem-solving, more primary care than a traditional residency program, trying out living where I think I would ideally be happier (getting out of the concrete jungle), preceptors who would get to know me deeply over three years.

What would be your perfect day off?

The 3rd day of a week-long backpacking trip – swimming, hiking, watercoloring, no cell reception.

Or waking up slowly to a warm cup of tea with milk, being outside on my feet or my bike, because it’s perfectly warm enough to be where I can move my body fast enough to create such a warmth, then having friends gather for a boardgame or an art project, being so caught up on work the day before that I can read a book for fun, and also getting to spend time with my friend’s kids or pets.

What was your childhood dream job?

Once at a party for my classmate’s 7th birthday, her mom pulled out the video camera and asked each of us kids eating birthday cake what we wanted to be when we grew up. The camera came up me and I flatly said “I don’t want to grow up.” Then I went back to eating cake. There is VHS tape proof.

I guess that might explain why I took six gap years to decide to go to med school. But I absolutely love my job and I’m so grateful that I get to be so happy doing it every day. I guess it’s OK to grow up slowly.