Yousuf Din, a first-year medical student at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, has experience giving back to his community, and is empowered to continue after receiving an inaugural scholarship from the Texas Medical Association’s Special Funds Foundation (TMASFF).
The TMASFF North Texas Specialty Physicians Scholarship was established through a generous grant from North Texas Specialty Physicians in 2023. Available to first-year medical students who reside or have resided in Johnson, Parker, or Tarrant counties, the $10,000 award renews for three consecutive years as long as the recipient remains enrolled as a full-time Texas medical student prior to reapplication. Applications for the 2025 award will be open June 1 through Aug. 15.
The award clears up mental space for him to concentrate more on his studies and less on mounting debt, Mr. Din told Texas Medicine Today. That in turn creates space and time for him to focus on giving back to the community through volunteering, as he’s done in the past.
“I was part of an organization that would regularly help make meals and interact with the unhoused community in Austin, and that was very rewarding and fulfilling to me,” he said. Service and compassion, values Mr. Din referenced in his scholarship application essay, guide his goals as a physician.
“Being in a position where I can give back globally, whether that’s raising funds for global communities in need, or even in the future as a physician going and providing care to communities in need globally” is high on the list.
So is mentorship. Mr. Din knows firsthand the role a mentor can play in securing future success, as one physician did for him as he navigated the gap year he took before medical school. On thanking her, she answered with a simple request.
“She said of course, it’s no problem, and the only thing I ask of you is to do the same in the future. And I think that really resonated with me and it’s something that really motivates me: wanting to give back.”
Mr. Din says the TMASFF NTSP scholarship will allow him to be a more well-rounded physician who can contribute to his community.
“I definitely think that positive ripple effect is a thing, and I think it’s something that can be pretty powerful.”
To find out more about funding opportunities for education, visit TMA’s scholarships webpage.
Jessica Ridge
Reporter, Division of Communications and Marketing
(512) 370-1395