Shorecrest High School Grad receives her M.D. and named to the prestigious 2020 Husky 100

Khalida Arif, M.D. / UW Husky 100
Photo courtesy UW Med

A member of Shorecrest High School’s 2008 graduating class, Khalida Arif, M.D., is a 2020 graduate of the University of Washington School of Medicine, and was named to the prestigious UW Husky 100 list.

Khalida, now Dr. Arif, successfully completed a doctor of medicine degree in May and participated in the first virtual Physician’s Oath and Hooding Ceremony, the medical school graduation, in the school’s 74-year history.

She will be starting a residency in internal medicine at UW next month.

The Husky 100 celebrates outstanding University of Washington undergraduate and graduate students who made or are making the most out of their Husky Experience.

The 100 exceptional UW students were chosen for actively connecting what happens inside the classroom with what happens outside the classroom—blazing pathways between subject matter and their practical experience.

They embrace innovation and tackle challenges with passion and creativity, and they are motivated and mindful leaders who work toward a more just and equitable world. That certainly describes Dr. Arif.

Khalida Arif came to Washington state with her family in 2000 from Pakistan. Her passion for medicine began at a young age after witnessing her family’s struggle to access basic healthcare both in Pakistan and the U.S. 

Khalida double-majored in biochemistry and physiology as an undergraduate at UW and went on to work at Harborview Medical Center before being accepted to attend the University of Washington School of Medicine – one of the top two medical schools in the country for primary care and family medicine training.

“I have been incredibly fortunate to have amazing mentors who provided me with guidance and the support I needed to help achieve my goals and dreams. It was not always easy finding those mentors, especially in the medical field when very few, if any, look like you,” she said.

To pay forward the mentorship Khalida received over the years, she began supporting the next generation of students of color. Through Alliance for Equal Representation in Medicine she mentored minority pre-medical students and provided mock interviews to help disadvantaged applicants with their UWSOM interviews. 

At Doctor for a Day events, she was able to share her story with middle and high school students and encouraged them to pursue a higher education in medicine.

Outside of her medical training, Khalida volunteered at student run clinics and health fairs to help communities who face barriers to accessing adequate healthcare. These experiences have shown her that there is still a significant amount of work left to do in both diversifying the field of medicine and improving marginalized communities’ access to basic healthcare.