Page 3 - Dr. Marja Hurley Endowed Research Award

Scholarship Impact

Making Student Dreams A Reality

Why did you choose
David Timmer Morehouse School of Med- It does not make sense that
this number is so out of
Port-au-Prince, Haiti icine? I chose the More- proportion to the number
4th-year M.D. student house School of Medicine of Black physicians.
because of its mission of Representation matters
Where are you from originally,
and what was your life like growing caring for the underserved on many levels. Patients
may be more receptive to
up? I lived in Haiti until the age of and for the environment physicians who look like
it provides to fulfil this
14. I am from a humble middle-class mission. them. Black children may
family. My parents were separated Have you had any be inspired by physicians
when I was a child, but together they difficult challenges in your who look like them. Some
did everything to raise my sister and medical/healthcare school journey? may not dream of becoming physi-
I in the best way possible. They both I have faced several challenges, but cians if they do not see physicians
had stable jobs and worked hard to none of them have been major ones. who look like them. This shortage
provide for us. The incredible support I received needs to be addressed for these rea-
The earthquake in 2010 forced sons and many more.
us to move to the United States. My from loved ones, from my class- Do you volunteer with any orga-
mates, and from donors have helped
mother left her stable job to be with me tremendously. nizations? I volunteer at the HEAL
her children. This change put a big Please share how scholarship clinic at MSM. The HEAL clinic is
financial strain on my family. We support helps you — academically, a student-run clinic that takes care
were lucky to be able to count on professionally, and personally. On of patients who do not have proper
other family members for support. a personal level, it helps alleviate access to healthcare.
My parents did what they could to my debt and gives me a little more What do you hope to accomplish
give us a great education. in your career after graduation/
Where did you attend high room to take care of my family in
school and where did you attend the future. It gives me one less thing residency? As a physician, I hope to
work in academic medicine to teach
college for your undergraduate? to worry about while I focus on my residents and medical students,
What degree did you complete? My journey to become a physician. The while taking care of underserved
effects of this scholarship could be
high school experience started in multiplied and touch every patient patients.
Haiti and was abruptly ended by the that I interact with in a positive way. If you could say or do one thing
earthquake. I resumed and graduat- That is the most important mission. to thank Dr. Hurley, what would
ed in South Florida. I later attended What is your take on the nation- it be? I would say thank you to my
the University of Miami and earned wide shortage of Black doctors? The donor, and ultimately my gratitude
a B.S. in Biology. will be shown through the commit-
What first interested you in your nationwide shortage of Black doc- ted care that I will always give my
program of study or medicine? I was tors is an emergency. The Black pop-
ulation is disproportionately affected patients. Your gift is greatly appreci-
first introduced to the idea of going by poor health outcomes due to ated and inspires me to help others.
into medicine by my aunt, who is a their social determinants of health.
nun. She told me that taking care of
others is one of the greatest pro-
fessions there is. I’ve known that I The effects of this scholarship could
wanted to by a physician ever since.
I have been inspired and humbled “ be multiplied and touch every patient
along the way with the many pa- that I interact with in a positive way.
tients I have met. There is no other
profession I would like to be doing. That is the most important mission.