UAB General Surgery resident Autumn Beavers, M.D., was named the first recipient of the Legacy of Service Award at the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship of Alabama's 10th Anniversary Celebration of Service on April 11, 2026, in Birmingham, Alabama.
The award is a new honor created by the Alabama Chapter of the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship to recognize former fellows whose commitment to service continues beyond their fellowship year. Beavers was selected as the inaugural honoree for her work spanning three continents and consistent focus on expanding access to care in underserved communities.
Beavers completed her Schweitzer Fellowship from 2019 to 2020, in which she developed a health careers curriculum for Birmingham City Schools to introduce students to opportunities in medicine and public health. She has since served with the United States Peace Corps in Burkina Faso, earned a Fulbright scholarship, and worked in Tanzania as a National Institutes of Health Fogarty Global Health Fellow.
In Tanzania, Beavers collaborated with local clinicians and community stakeholders to develop a breast health education and referral program for traditional healers. The program was designed to strengthen early detection of breast cancer and to bridge traditional and biomedical systems of care. She has carried that same approach, pairing clinical training with community-centered service, into work in the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Thailand, each focused on improving access to surgical care.
“Dr. Beaver’s exemplary dedication to the field of healthcare reflects the kind of surgeon our residency aims to train and support – someone who pairs technical excellence with a deep commitment to the communities she serves,” said Britney Corey, M.D., MACM, program director of the UAB General Surgery Residency. "Her work, from classrooms in Birmingham to clinics in Tanzania, has shaped her trajectory long before residency, and it will continue to light her bright future as she progresses through her career.”
About the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship of Alabama
The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship of Alabama is a healthcare service program that trains graduate and professional students in the health sciences to design and lead yearlong community health projects with underserved populations across the state. Established in 2016, the Alabama chapter has trained 125 students who have partnered with more than 77 community organizations, providing an estimated 26,000 hours of service. The Alabama Chapter is part of the national Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, which continues the legacy of Dr. Albert Schweitzer, a physician-humanitarian and Nobel Peace laureate.