Alumni Spotlight: Dr. Bret Benally Thompson ('04) Named AAIP Physician of the Year

In celebration of Native American Heritage Month, the University of Minnesota Medical School proudly recognizes Bret Benally Thompson, MD ('04), for his recent honor as the 2024 Physician of the Year by the Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP). The award recognizes his "exemplary leadership and innovation in the field, significantly improving health outcomes and advocating for the well-being of Indigenous communities."

A member of the White Earth Nation, Dr. Benally Thompson, recalls being 40 years old when he started his medical school journey on the Duluth Campus, known for uniquely focusing on training future physicians to serve the needs of rural and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. Today, he is a palliative care physician, an associate professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, and the director of Indigenous Health and Cultural Guidance for the Native American Center for Health Professions (NACHP). 

We congratulate Dr. Benally Thompson for this well-deserved recognition and for inspiring the next generation of Native medical professionals!