No matter where he goes or what he does, University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine graduate Duke Escobar, will always be “Just a Kid from Waiakea.”
“My friends and I joke about that all the time cause that’s what we are,” Escobar said. “You always remember that you’re just a kid from Waiakea.”
Born and raised on Hawaiʻi Island, Escobar discovered his passion for medicine while attending Waiakea High School. A classroom assignment watching episodes of the medical drama House helped spark his curiosity about diagnosis and patient care.
“I always felt like I needed more of a human connection and I felt like being a physician was where I could find that,” Duke said.
After graduating from Waiakea High, Duke stayed close to home, attending the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and majoring in cell and molecular biology. His path to medical school included two gap years conducting research at Stanford University and the University of Washington before eventually earning acceptance to JABSOM.
During medical school, Duke remained committed to giving back to students from communities like his own. Through JABSOM’s School Health Education Program (SHEP), he returned to local classrooms several times a year to mentor and teach Hawaiʻi students interested in healthcare careers.
“A lot of the disadvantage of coming from a neighbor island is that we just don’t have the resources,” Duke said.
One of his favorite stops is back at Waiakea High.
“Duke is just an awesome person, he’s so cool and he made us laugh a lot today,” said student Anela Lee.
That ability to connect with young people helped shape Duke’s next step in medicine. He matched into the University of Hawaiʻi Pediatrics Residency Program.
“I just really found that I like working with kids,” Duke said. “I can be silly and they’re simple people. They just like to laugh and have fun and I like to do that as well.”
Eventually, Duke hopes to return to Hilo permanently to serve the community that raised him.
“Hilo is very special,” Duke said. “It has everyone who I hold near and dear to my heart.”