Whiddon COM alumnus chosen as White House Fellow

Zachary White II, M.D.

Zachary White II, M.D., a 2021 graduate of the Whiddon College of Medicine, was selected as a 2024-2025 White House Fellow. As one of 15 fellows from around the nation, White was assigned to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.

Founded in 1964 by Lyndon B. Johnson, the White House Fellows Program is one of America’s most prestigious programs for leadership and public service. The one-year paid fellowship offers exceptional emerging leaders first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the federal government.

A native of Birmingham, White earned a bachelor's degree in biology from Tuskegee University, followed by a master's degree in biomedical and health sciences from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is currently in his third year of residency in radiation oncology at Stanford University in Stanford, California. 

During medical school, White served as the president of the Class of 2021 – the Whiddon College of Medicine's first Black class president. He also founded and served as co-president of the Oncology Interest Group and was a member of the USA Chapter of the Arnold P. Gold Humanism in Medicine Honor Society. 

White was one of two students nationwide to receive the 2018 ASTRO Minority Summer Fellowship Award, which led to eight weeks of research and clinical studies in radiation oncology at the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He was one of nine students in the nation to receive the 2019 Medical Rotation for Underrepresented Populations Award from the Conquer Cancer Foundation of the American Society of Clinical Oncology. As a fourth-year medical student, he was one of 11 students to participate in the American Medical Association's Foundation Leadership Development Institute. The year-long national program is dedicated to cultivating a diverse cohort of aspiring physician leaders who are committed to serving the needs of their communities and improving the nation’s health.

In a recent interview with AL.com, White said of the White House Fellows Program: “My ultimate goal is to eventually return to Alabama and contribute positively to both rural and metropolitan communities. This experience will not only allow me to grow as a leader but also equip me with the knowledge and skills necessary to become a transformative leader. I’m eager to leverage this opportunity to contribute meaningfully to address the health disparities that persist in Alabama’s communities.”

Read the full article, “Alabama native chosen as White House Fellow,” in AL.com. 

Learn more about the White House Fellows Program.