Karl Schick, DDS

Dr. Schick was born and raised in Kodiak, Alaska, a rural island community in the Gulf of Alaska. He attended St. Olaf College in Minnesota, earning a biology degree with concentrations in biomedical science and Nordic heritage studies. Dr. Schick attended the University of Washington School of Dentistry as a member of the RIDE (Rural Initiatives in Dental Education) program, which focused on preparing students to provide dental care in rural communities like the one where he grew up.

After graduating in 2020 and receiving recognition for excellence in restorative dentistry, Dr. Schick accepted a position as a dental officer for U.S. Coast Guard Base Ketchikan as the clinical dental director and led efforts to improve access to dental care for service members across southeast Alaska. His work included providing fillings, crowns, bridges, dentures, surgical and endodontic care, as well as deploying on various missions across Alaska and other states to provide clinical care and meet with community partners, including tribal clinics that cared for Coast Guard patients in the more remote areas of rural southeast Alaska. He and his wife made many friends from the Native communities around Ketchikan while serving in Alaska, which inspired him to look for work with a tribe after his time in the Coast Guard in southeast Alaska.

Completing his service with the Coast Guard in late 2025, Dr. Schick moved to Port Angeles to be close to family and start a new career with the Lower Elwha Tribe, where he has been serving as the dental program director since November of 2025. He and his family are excited to put down roots and experience everything the Olympic Peninsula has to offer. Dr. Schick looks forward to serving the community and continuing his passion for providing personalized, compassionate care and top-quality dentistry for the people of the Lower Elwha Tribe. When he’s not working, Dr. Schick enjoys hiking, hunting, fishing, playing board games, and doing projects around the house.