May 27, 2025

By Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science staff

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Mayo Clinic alumni across the years reflect on their education at Mayo Clinic and how it has impacted them over the years.

Alyx Porter Umphrey, M.D., (I1 ’04, N ’07, NONC ’08), is a neurologist with a subspecialty in neuro-oncology at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. Having been with Mayo Clinic for over two decades, Dr. Porter Umphrey has emerged as a highly regarded physician and leader. Her clinical focuses include: Malignant and benign tumors of the brain and spinal cord; neurological complications of systemic cancer and cancer treatment, including brain metastases.

Dr. Porter Umphrey reflects on her time at Mayo Clinic.

I love contributing to the legacy of Mayo Clinic, particularly at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. What’s happening on this campus is very special and as an Arizona native, it’s an honor for me to work in the place that I was born and raised.

My first exposure to the distinct and values-driven Mayo Clinic culture came from my experience as a trainee at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. To learn from people who live, walk, and talk the Mayo values, who are giants in their respective fields, and to have access to them as a learner was something that was immediately impressed upon me. Training at Mayo in Rochester also helped give me a perspective of just the tremendous impact we can have as an organization — and as individuals — because of the excellence and values that have led to the reputational weight of the organization.

The three shields that have become synonymous with our institutional priorities were one of the first things that struck me as a trainee back in 2003, and we continue to achieve excellence as we innovate in all three. For many years, I was so grateful to be here and wondered how I would also contribute to the greatness of Mayo Clinic. Now, 21 years later, it’s nice to be able to see that I’ve also been able to contribute in small part to the Mayo Clinic legacy both here in Arizona and across the enterprise.

I tell every learner I encounter, whether they’re an undergraduate, a Mayo medical student rotating through neurology, or a resident or fellow that I have the privilege of staffing, “Everyone you encounter is your teacher.” If we’re lucky, we should find ourselves in a perpetual state of learning. There’s always something to be learned from a patient, from a colleague, from a volunteer, and we end up, hopefully, incorporating what we learn to be even better.

This and other alumni stories originally appeared in the 2025 issue 1 of Mayo Clinic Alumni Magazine.