May 18, 2018
Twelve minority
students entering Texas medical schools this fall each will benefit from a $10,000
scholarship from the Texas Medical
Association (TMA). TMA
awarded the scholarships to the students today in San Antonio at TexMed, TMA’s annual
conference. Physicians selected the students for their academic achievement,
commitment to community service, and desire to care for Texas’ increasingly
diverse population.
TMA created the
Diversity in Medicine Program in 1998 to help diversify the physician workforce
to meet the health care needs of Texans.
The TMA
Educational Scholarship, Loan, and Awards Committee chose one recipient for
each Texas medical school from a competitive field of promising future
physicians. The TMA Foundation (TMAF), the association’s philanthropic
arm, funds the program.
The scholarship
encourages minority students to attend medical school by lessening the financial burden of their postgraduate education, which averages more than $175,000. TMA
has awarded 136 scholarships totaling $847,500 since the program’s inception,
thanks to generous gifts from TMAF donor physicians and their families, major
supporters, and others.
2018 TMA Diversity in Medicine Scholarship Winners
Recipients are
known as the “Bayardo Scholars” in recognition of the majority support provided
by the TMA Foundation Trust Fund of Roberto J. Bayardo, MD, and Agniela (Annie)
M. Bayardo, of Houston.
Mahmoud Abdulbaki of Garland
graduates from The University of Texas (UT) at Dallas this month with a
degree in biochemistry and will attend UT Health San Antonio Long School of
Medicine this fall. His long-term plans are to treat patients in a rural area. Mr.
Abdulbaki’s scholarship is provided by the Bayardo trust; Drs. Rajam and
Somayaji Ramamurthy of San Antonio, and an anonymous donor.
Alejandro Aquino of Pharr
received a master of public health degree from Duke University in Durham,
N.C. He plans to study at The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) School
of Medicine to become a surgeon and then practice in South Texas or the Rio
Grande Valley. Mr. Aquino’s scholarship is provided by the Bayardo trust; the
Hidalgo-Starr County Medical Society; and C. Enrique Batres, MD, of Sugar Land.
Alberto Cantúa of McAllen receives his bachelor’s degree in biology from UTRGV this month and will attend
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston School of Medicine in the
fall. He is undecided on his medical specialty, but plans to practice medicine in
South Texas after completing medical school. The Bayardo trust; Baldemar Covarrubias,
MD, of Corpus Christi; and Mark J. Kubala, MD, of Beaumont provided the
scholarship for Mr. Cantúa.
Kayla Daniels of San
Antonio is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a degree in
biomedical science. She will attend Texas A&M College of Medicine to become
a pediatric pulmonologist. She plans to treat patients in South and Central
Texas, particularly those who lack access to consistent medical care. Her
scholarship is provided by the Bayardo trust and E. Thomas Wightman, MD, of
Arlington.
Bonnie Du of Brownsville
earned her bachelor’s degree in prehealth studies from the University of
Notre Dame. She will study at Dell Medical School at UT Austin and intends to
practice obstetrics-gynecology or family medicine in a predominately Hispanic urban
area of Texas. Ms. Du’s scholarship is provided by the Bayardo trust and the
Travis County Medical Society.
Orlando Martinez Luna of Hutto received his bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from UT Austin. He will study family
medicine at UT Southwestern Medical School and plans to practice in an underserved,
rural community in Central Texas. The Bayardo trust; the TMAF Patrick Y. Leung,
MD, Diversity in Medicine Scholarship Endowment, established by Dr. Leung and Mrs. Nancy
Leung of Midland; and the Dallas County Medical Society provided Mr. Martinez
Luna’s scholarship.
Diego Regalado of
Navasota receives his bachelor’s degree in biology from Texas A&M this
month. He will enter Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of
Medicine (TTUHSC)-Lubbock this fall to study pediatrics. Mr. Regalado intends to
practice in a small, underserved community in or near the Rio Grande Valley. The
Bayardo trust provided Mr. Regalado’s scholarship.
Esdras Rodriguez of Friona graduates this month from West Texas A&M University with degrees in
biochemistry and biology. He will study family, internal, or emergency medicine
at TTUHSC Paul L. Foster School of Medicine in the fall. Mr. Rodriguez plans to
practice in his hometown in the Texas Panhandle, or in another rural setting along
the border near El Paso. Mr. Rodriguez’ scholarship is provided by the Bayardo trust
and the Nueces County Medical Society.
Eliora Tesfaye of Arlington
earns a degree in biochemistry from
UT Austin this month and will attend McGovern Medical School at UT Health in
Houston this fall. She plans to study family medicine or surgery
to later practice in a metro area. The
Bayardo trust and the Harris County Medical Society/Houston Academy of Medicine
provided the scholarship for Ms. Tesfaye.
Peter Ugoh of Katy receives his undergraduate degree in
neuroscience from UT Austin this month. He will begin his studies at Baylor
College of Medicine this fall and plans to practice in an underserved community
in the Houston area. Mr. Ugoh’s scholarship is provided by the Bayardo trust; the Khushalani
Foundation in Humble; and Gregory R. Johnson, MD, of Houston.
Charleston West of San Antonio received his bachelor’s and
master’s degrees from UT San Antonio. He will attend the University of the
Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine and plans to begin his medical
career in his hometown. The
Bayardo trust; H-E-B; and Mary Dale Peterson, MD, and Rafael Coutin, MD, of
Corpus Christi, provided Mr. West’s scholarship.
Alyssa Wilder of Everman
graduates this month from Abilene Christian University with a bachelor’s in
biology and will attend the University of North Texas Health Science Center at
Fort Worth Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. She intends to study internal
medicine or pediatrics and later practice in an underserved community in the Dallas-Fort
Worth area. Ms. Walker’s scholarship is provided by the Bayardo trust; Tarrant
County Medical Society; Carla F. Ortique, MD, of Houston; and Irvin Robinson,
MD, of Fort Worth.
TMA
is the largest state medical society in the nation, representing more than
51,000 physician and medical student members. It is located in Austin and has 110
component county medical societies around the state. TMA’s key objective since
1853 is to improve the health of all Texans. TMA Foundation is the
philanthropic arm of the association and raises funds to support the population
health, science and quality-of-care priority initiatives of TMA and the family
of medicine.
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Contact: Brent Annear (512) 370-1381;
cell: (512) 656-7320; email: brent.annear[at]texmed[dot]org
Marcus
Cooper (512) 370-1382; cell: (512) 650-5336; email: marcus.cooper[at]texmed[dot]org
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