09/10/2025
Walmart heir Alice Walton has established the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM) in Bentonville, Arkansas, to reform what she describes as a "broken" healthcare system by reimagining medical education.
The school's inaugural class receives free tuition, a decision intended to launch its innovative curriculum focused on preventive, whole-person care. Departing from traditional models, AWSOM integrates humanities, nutrition, art, and mindfulness into its training, aiming to produce doctors who address the social and lifestyle determinants of health, not just symptoms.
By connecting the school to her Crystal Bridges Museum and focusing on community health, Walton hopes to create a national model for training physicians who can shift healthcare from "sick care" to a system centered on prevention and well-being, particularly for underserved populations.
