Becker’s Healthcare Podcast Reimagining Medical Education with Dr. Sharmila Makhija
Mar 10, 2026
Sharmila Makhija, founding dean and CEO of the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, is redesigning medical training to blend clinical skills with the arts, humanities, and whole-health care. She discusses shortening training, tackling rural physician shortages with targeted recruitment and tuition incentives, and building a wellness-focused campus culture that prepares future clinicians for a changing healthcare landscape.
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Medicine Reimagined With Arts And Whole Health
- The Alice Walton School of Medicine intentionally integrates clinical training with the arts, humanities, and whole health to reimagine medical education.
- The school (nicknamed awesome) launched as a new four-year program in Bentonville to fill curricular gaps and opened its first class in July 2025.
How She Became Founding Dean
- Dr. Sharmila Makhija joined as founding dean after advising the search team and realizing the chance to design a new school aligned with her values.
- She highlights the unusual setup: no university or health system owner and a campus next to a world-class museum.
Teach Whole Person Care To Reduce Burnout
- Prioritize teaching whole-person care and student self-care to reduce burnout and extend physician careers.
- Build curriculum gaps around resiliency and technology literacy to better prepare students for modern practice.