The Pat Walker Health Center has appointed Huda Sharaf, M.D., as the chief medical director for the center. Doctors in the center have been taking turns with the position for the last several years, but Sharaf’s appointment will end that practice.

“We recently made the decision for it to become a permanent position due to the growth we’ve had in our personnel,” said A.J. Olsen, director for medical services, who explained the choice to maintain a steady medical director as a necessity due to the growing staff at the Pat Walker Health Center and to keep up with the expanding student body at the university.

As the head of the health center’s medical clinics, Sharaf will oversee the day-to-day operations of the clinic, the lab, the X-ray department, women’s clinic, regular appointments, and supervise all medical providers. Sharaf will continue to see students in her new role.

“I greatly enjoy working in college health. I find that our patient population tends to be very proactive concerning their healthcare and eager to receive advice regarding healthy living,” Sharaf said. “I feel that I not only serve as a clinician but also as an educator. I provide diagnoses and treatment plans for my patients but also serve to educate them on overall preventative care and healthy lifestyle choices. For some of our students, they are visiting a medicine clinic for the first time alone and need guidance in navigating the healthcare system – such as filling prescriptions, making appointments, and learning about health insurance details.  In college health, you strive to take care of the entire patient, which includes not only their overall health but also promoting their sustainability at the University and providing a general education about the healthcare system.”

Sharaf has been with the PWHC for a little more than five years, starting in January 2008.  Prior to that, she was staff physician in the Washington University student health center in St. Louis for about four years. Sharaf is board certified in internal medicine. She graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1993 with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry. She studied medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock before completing her internal medical residency at Washington University in St. Louis.