Page 4 - Medical Association of Atlanta Scholarship Report

MSM Scholarship Impact

Making Student Dreams A Reality

Scholarship Support More Important of access, quality, and equity in health care. They need
than Ever at Morehouse School of Medicine our graduates, but those healthcare professionals can-
not take on these essential jobs at the frontlines of the
health crises in our country if they are trapped under
ore and more elite medical schools are
committing to scholarship programs that
the crushing weight of medical-school debt.
M ill allow some or all of their students to
w
attend tuition-free. Generous scholarship support and NEED FOR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS
gifts like those provided by the Medical Association of Studies show that the United States is facing a
Atlanta assist our institution’s efforts of implementing shortage of physicians, particularly in primary care and
this kind of program at Morehouse School of Medicine. in rural and disadvantaged areas. To meet this demand,
Scholarship support enables MSM to attract stu- MSM has grown its class size by 56 percent over the last
dents to our mission-driven education program and few years, and now welcomes 100 MD students annu-
allows more financial flexibility to our graduate physi- ally, helping to increase the number of culturally com-
cians, so they can afford to practice primary care and petent and compassionate physicians needed to serve
serve the underserved as representatives of the diverse vulnerable urban, and rural, populations.
health workforce .... something that our country desper- Yet these students face a conundrum. Though
ately needs now. MSM’s tuition is lower than the national average, so
Students entering medical school risk accumulating too are the household incomes of our students. They
debilitating levels of debt, debt that hamstrings them walk away from medical school with debt averaging
financially and limits their career choices. But now, as $254,485, higher than the national average at $190,000,
the country grapples with coronavirus and racial injus- and therefore sometimes have to choose higher-paying
tice, we as a nation cannot afford to discourage students jobs over those that would do the most good for under-
from pursuing jobs that can make the most difference. served populations.
There is an urgent need for the healthcare profes- Because of your support, we are helping to lift that
sionals that Morehouse School of Medicine is known burden and free these students to go out and make
for educating and graduating — those committed to a difference — and make our medical system safer,
serving the Black community and other underserved healthier, and more equitable. We sincerely appreciate
urban and rural populations. your support in our mission of creating and advancing
These are the patients who are disproportionately health equity and look forward to our continued part-
affected by these pandemics, and hardest hit by issues nership as we make thinrgs better together.