Cameron Metz, MD

I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and created my own entertainment, namely books and my imagination. Early influences like Sir Ernest Shackleton, Jackie Pullinger, or Pier Giorgio Frassati gave me a voracious love for humanity paired with a ‘Marco Polo spirit’ desperate to explore the edges of the map, which was a little out of place in my small, loving hometown. I fell for Alaska’s natural beauty and the fantastic community during a Palliative Care rotation at Alaskan Native Medical Center. Here, my adventurous spirit was quite ordinary, and it felt like a second home. I simply had to return.

After completing a BS in Biochemistry at Marietta College, I worked as a rural EMT. The work cemented my desires to attend medical school which, as the first doctor in my family, was a very intimidating venture. I was drawn to family medicine because it’s the best of all worlds; I get to have decades long relationships with my patients and I don’t have to choose between all the areas of medicine I enjoy like peds, obstetrics, emergency, inpatient, and outpatient. I think it’s the best medical skillset for the ‘edges of the map’, too.

My interests are in the rural underserved and displaced peoples, either domestic or international. During medical school at the University of Pittsburgh, I started an interdisciplinary street medicine team, which backpacked the city and provided social/medical support to the unhoused populations. I was also passionate about the PittMed Refugee Health Advocacy Project, where we interfaced with our medical system, medical education, research, and local organizations to improve the health of Pittsburgh’s non-English speaking immigrant and refugee populations. I participated in the global health track, eventually training for 6 weeks on the border of Thailand and Myanmar offering healthcare through a field hospital and backpacking (again) with mobile clinics to the Karen people displaced by armed conflict. I look forward to continuing this work in residency. 

In my free time, I tend to balance out my Marco Polo spirit by engaging with family, friends, and community. This can be activities like chili cook offs, sports (looking at you Ultimate Frisbee!), spiritual pursuits, camping, or even accidentally chatting for an hour after running into someone at the grocery store. If you see me out and about, say hello at your own risk.