University of Vermont College of Medicine Class of 2015 student Marissa Mendez has been selected as one of the 2012 American Medical Association (AMA) Foundation Minority Scholars Award recipients. She will attend the AMA annual meeting in Chicago, Ill., on June 15 to 17, 2012, where she and other award winners will be recognized at a special dinner and plaque ceremony.

The award is part of an effort to promote diversity, encourage the elimination of health care disparities and alleviate the high cost of medical education. Mendez is one of 13 outstanding medical students from across the country that has been selected to receive a $10,000 Minority Scholars Award. The awards recognize scholastic achievement, financial need and commitment to improving minority health among first- or second-year students in groups defined as historically underrepresented in the medical profession. According to the AMA Foundation, less than seven percent of U.S. physicians fall within these groups, which include African American/Black, American Indian, Native Hawaiian, Alaska Native and Hispanic/Latino.

“The AMA Foundation takes enormous pride in its association with these exceptional medical students,” said Owen Garrick, M.D., M.B.A., AMA Foundation President. “Their outstanding academic achievements as well as numerous activities illustrating leadership and service in their communities speak to their commitment to make a difference in the health of minority populations and the medical profession.”

As the philanthropic arm of the American Medical Association, the AMA Foundation has made it a priority to help medical students handle the rising cost of their education. On average, future physicians graduate approximately $161,000 in debt, and in many cases the debt load is much higher. A large debt burden may deter many from practicing in underserved areas of the country or practicing primary care medicine.

The Minority Scholars Awards are given in partnership with the AMA Minority Affairs Section (MAS), with support from Pfizer Inc. The National Business Group on Health (NBGH) partially supports one scholarship in honor of the late Ronald M. Davis, MD, Past-President of the AMA, and is granted to a minority medical student who has an interest in primary care. Additional support is provided by the AMA MAS Governing Council, the California Healthcare Foundation and other generous donors.

About the AMA Foundation
The AMA Foundation, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt foundation, is dedicated to improving public health by raising funds and providing philanthropic support to high-impact health and medical scholarship programs. Learn more about the AMA Foundation.

(This release was adapted from a May 31, 2012 announcement produced by the AMA Foundation.)

PUBLISHED

06-08-2012
Jennifer Nachbur