Alice Walton, World’s Richest Woman and Walmart Heir, Opens Medical School in Arkansas

A visionary new medical school in Arkansas is reshaping healthcare education by combining prevention, whole-person care, technology, art, and empathy to tackle chronic illness and health inequity.
A portrait of Alice Walton
Alice Walton founded AWSOM in 2021 through the whole-health nonprofit Heartland Whole Health Institute, following her own recovery from a bone infection after a serious car accident in the 1980s.Stephen Ironside, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
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Alice L. Walton, the world’s richest woman and Walmart heir, opened the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM) in Bentonville, Arkansas, on July 14, 2025, welcoming its inaugural class of 48 students.

The private, nonprofit medical school will offer a four-year MD program that integrates traditional science with arts, humanities and whole-health principles, emphasizing preventive care and attention to mental, emotional, social and lifestyle factors in patient wellness.

Students in the inaugural class come from both local Arkansas towns and cities like New York, reflecting a diverse student body committed to rethinking medical care.

a illustrative image of Alice L. Walton School of Medicine.
Students at the Alice Walton School of Medicine begin their journey on a campus designed to heal, inspire, and transform the future of healthcare.ChatGPT

Background and Accreditation

Walton founded AWSOM in 2021 through the whole-health nonprofit Heartland Whole Health Institute, following her own recovery from a bone infection after a serious car accident in the 1980s. That experience revealed gaps in the U.S. healthcare system and inspired Walton to promote a more integrated, compassionate model of care.

In October 2024, the school received preliminary accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), allowing it to admit students and begin instruction. AWSOM met all 12 standards, including academic leadership, curriculum, and student support.

Curriculum and Campus Design

The school admitted less than 3 percent of more than 2,000 applicants for its inaugural class.

The curriculum includes over 50 hours of nutrition training, more than double that offered by many U.S. medical schools, and includes culinary classes, gardening, and a teaching farm to help students understand the connection between food systems and health.

Students also begin community service by their third day on campus, reinforcing AWSOM’s mission to serve underserved areas and apply whole-health principles in practice.

The 154,000-square-foot, four-story facility, designed by Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects, features healing gardens, a rooftop park, glass walls, a wellness studio, and a reflection pond, reinforcing the school’s philosophy of mind-body connection.

The campus is built on Walton family land, adjacent to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, which Alice had founded.

Born from Personal Experience

Walton’s vision stems from a 1980s car accident that led to a bone infection and years of surgeries, revealing flaws in a “broken” health care system. “I wanted to create a school that gives doctors the ability to keep patients healthy,” she said.

Whole-Person Care and Technology Integration

AWSOM incorporates AI and digital health tools to address chronic disease and health inequity, blending technology with compassion in its educational model.

This approach aims to train doctors who are attentive not only to symptoms, but also to patients’ stories and environments.

Addressing Arkansas’s Health Challenges

Arkansas ranks 48th in adult health in the United States and faces high rates of maternal mortality and teen births.

Tuition is fully covered for the first five graduating classes, supported by Walton, to reduce financial barriers and encourage service in rural and underserved communities.

Partnerships and Future Goals

The school has partnered with health systems like Mercy, Cleveland Clinic, and University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences to provide clinical training and advance its care model.

In September 2024, Mercy and the Heartland Whole Health Institute entered a $700 million, 30-year affiliation, launching a nearby cardiac care center to support hands-on learning.

AWSOM’s model has attracted national attention, with Walton and founding dean Dr. Sharmila Makhija, a gynecologic cancer surgeon, aiming to replicate the approach in other regions to reshape medical education.

(Rh/Eth/DJR/MSM/SE)

A portrait of Alice Walton
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