Samaria Quinata is a rising fourth-year student at the University of Guam pursuing a degree in Integrative Biology. A native of Yona, she is a pre-medical student and currently serves as the webmaster for Chålan Åmte, coordinating online content and ensuring resources are available to students and the community.

On May 2, 2026, she presented her research project, “Characterization of Guam’s Physician Capacity: Current and Historical Trends,” at the 5th Annual University of Guam College of Natural and Applied Sciences STEM Conference, earning a 1st Place award in the Health and Human Systems category. 

For this project, she and her team examined the number of physicians in Guam by specialty per 100,000 population and compared these figures with U.S. national averages. While it is widely recognized that Guam faces significant challenges in its healthcare system, there is currently a lack of published data documenting our island’s physician workforce capacity.

The most significant discovery from her study showed that across all specialties, Guam has lower physician rates relative to the U.S. national average. While the overall number of physicians on the island has increased over the past century, key fields such as obstetrics and gynecology (OB/GYN) and psychiatry have remained stagnant. These persistent gaps are especially concerning in light of U.S. military expansion and projected population growth on Guam, both of which are expected to place additional strain on an already limited healthcare workforce if left unaddressed.

Collected data may help inform healthcare workforce policies aimed at strengthening our island’s health system. Potential strategies include establishing an academic medical center, developing accredited residency programs, and enhancing medical education opportunities for local students. By creating clear and accessible pathways for aspiring physicians within Guam, our island can work toward building a more sustainable healthcare system that is better equipped to serve its communities with culturally informed care.

For Samaria, one of the most surprising findings was the number of psychiatrists practicing on Guam – only 4 in total. This number has shown minimal growth over the past decades, which is particularly concerning in the context of our island’s high rates of suicide and growing mental health needs.

Overall, presenting her research at the UOG STEM Conference was an exciting opportunity to share her work with the community and receive valuable feedback. “I’m proud of the work that our team was able to accomplish and glad it could receive recognition,” she said.

As someone born and raised in Guam, Samaria is also grateful for the chance to contribute to research that helps improve the understanding of our island community and deepened her passion for science and health. She expressed, “I feel that it is my responsibility to give back to the island that raised me, and I find a lot of meaning from doing work that can help make a positive impact.” Notably, gaining a clearer understanding of the critical gaps within Guam’s healthcare system has further motivated her to consider pursuing specialties in OB/GYN and psychiatry.

Samaria encourages premed students “to seize any opportunity to get involved in research, even if it is not the exact field or speciality you want to study because the skills and experience you gain from doing research of any kind will be invaluable in your academic journey.”

Lastly, she extends gratitude to her principal investigator, Dr. Kekoa Taparra, as well as members of the Specialty Capacity team — Kai, Megan, Ryan, and Mason — for their unwavering guidance, support, and contributions throughout her first research experience.

Written by: Kayla Paguio | June 24, 2026