Anna Brandes

Hi, my name is Anna. I was born in Narragansett, Rhode Island but my family moved to Honolulu, Hawaii when I was less than a year old. I grew up at beach with my cousins running around barefoot snacking on tropical fruit. During high school my best friend and I taught ourselves to surf on a couple of garage sale boards and have been surfing ever since.

After high school, I moved to Salt Lake City for my undergrad at the University of Utah. Similar to many undergraduates, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. A college advisor introduced me to a local non-profit health clinic that cared for uninsured patients living below the poverty line and I ended up spending a lot of my free time volunteering there. In my time at the clinic, I learned how much I enjoyed medicine — especially primary care.

After college, I took a year off from school to travel and work before starting medical school. During my time at the University of Utah School of Medicine, I developed a special interest in the impact of climate change on health and healthcare sustainability. I was also able to participate in several rural rotations throughout the state which piqued my interest in rural medicine. After 10 great years in Utah, I am excited to begin a new chapter in Alaska!

In my spare time you can find me reading with my cat Juniper, searching for surf breaks in Alaska, and hiking and spending time outside with my partner Eli. Other passions include sharing food with friends and eating dessert.

Some of my special interests within medicine include addiction medicine, emergency medicine, sustainability, and the impacts of climate change on health.