Costs during the latter half of medical school can quickly become overwhelming, enhancing the importance of aid such as the Harris County Medical Society (HCMS) Alliance Scholarship, recipients say.
“In the final two years, financial pressures ramp up with expenses like residency applications, board exams, and transportation for advanced electives,” said Amacalli Tejeda, third-year medical student at the University of Houston Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine, and one of 16 Houston medical students to recently receive the HCMS scholarship. The “peace of mind” the scholarship provides allows her to “concentrate on becoming a physician dedicated to delivering exceptional patient care and serving my community without the constant distraction of debt.”
Since 1998, HCMS Alliance has awarded more than $450,000 in scholarships to more than 350 medical students. The scholarship awards are open to all third- and fourth-year medical students in good standing at a medical school in Harris County, with funds distributed directly to the schools, where financial aid staff select recipients with the most need.
Texas ranks among the lowest in medical school tuition in the country, ranging from $22,000 to $30,000-plus annually, not including living expenses, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. The awards make a big difference as the recipients juggle their studies, family, and other commitments.
“I am so grateful for this scholarship,” wrote recipient Nicole Small, a fourth-year student at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth who moved to the U.S. from Jamaica at age 8. She says she saw the “devastating” effects of health disparities in both Kingston and Keller, the North Texas suburb to which she moved.
With a goal of “advocat[ing] for those whose voices are often overlooked” and coming from a place of “empathy for the diverse challenges faced by different populations,” Ms. Small, an AmeriCorps alum who volunteers as a tutor and a running guide for athletes with blindness or low vision, plans to specialize in psychiatry.
Benjamin Nwokoye, a fourth-year medical student at Baylor College of Medicine, knew he wanted to be a physician after helping to distribute medications at a clinic near his family’s village on a medical mission trip to Nigeria.
“This experience was transformative – it showed me that being a physician is not only about providing physical care but also about offering emotional support and reassurance,” he wrote.
“Receiving this scholarship is both an honor and a tremendous relief. Beyond the financial assistance, this scholarship serves as a reminder of the generosity and support within the medical community.”
Mr. Nwokoye plans to practice anesthesiology, a specialty that he says aligns with his “passion for precision, patient advocacy, and ensuring patients feel safe and cared for during critical moments in their health care journey.”
Becoming a physician wasn’t a possibility Shelbie Powers saw for herself until she began working as a medical scribe while pursuing her master’s degree. “As a first-generation student, going to college felt like something that only ‘rich’ people did; medical school was something I didn’t even know was possible,” wrote the fourth-year medical student at Fertitta Family College of Medicine.
“While my debt burden is high, it has allowed me to follow my passion and enter this incredible profession. I am truly honored that TMA believes in me as much as I believe in myself,” Ms. Powers wrote.
Other recipients of the HCMS Alliance Scholarship are, at Baylor College of Medicine:
At McGovern Medical School:
At Fertitta Family College of Medicine:
Find out about additional medical student scholarships on the TMA scholarships webpage. Prospective donors to the HCMS Alliance scholarship fund can make donations online (login required) contact Gail Schatte, TMA’s associate vice president for trust fund administration, for the mailing address.
Jessica Ridge
Reporter, Division of Communications and Marketing
(512) 370-1395