Alec Joshongeva-Petersen, MD

Provider Details

Medical Resident

Where are you originally from?

I consider Pinedale, a small town of ~500 people in Arizona, to be my hometown. A good portion of my Petersen side still live in the White Mtns and my Hopi side is from the village Mishognovi.

Undergraduate College:

University of Arizona

Where did you attend Medical School?

University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago

Why did you choose PTHA?

After expressing an interest in Family Medicine to a mentor they highly encouraged me to look into PTHA. I’m really glad I did as I then had the opportunity to shadow for a day. I loved the vibe, faculty, and patients I met. One of which expressed hoping to see me there as a resident. I loved being surrounded by Native providers and patients, and knew that I needed that to flourish as a newly minted physician. It was easy to see that PTHA was where I wanted and needed to be.

What are your interests?

Medical wise my interests mostly lay in Indigenous healthcare, health disparities, primary care, public health, and health justice. I’m interested in moving medicine and healthcare towards a more equitable form based on the concepts of mutual aid, collective healthcare, horizontal organizing, and traditional healing. Outside of medicine my eclectic interests include playing the guitar, singing shapenote music, diy, going down Wikipedia/youtube rabbit holes, learning tradition, and sharing good food with good people.

What are some fun facts about you?

I have TWO CATS that make up most of my partner’s and my personality nowadays. They are the sweetest, though also mischievous and crazy, little guys!