Page 16 - MSM Bloomberg Scholarship
P. 16
Bloomberg Scholarship Impact
Making Student Dreams A Reality
What is your take on
What do you hope
Tempestt Walker the nationwide shortage of to accomplish in your
Greenville, MS Black doctors? It is dis- career after graduation/
1st-year M.D. student appointing. Personally, I residency? I would like to
Why did you choose Morehouse know individuals of color have my own practice one
School of Medicine? I chose More- who decided not to pursue day. I would like to start a
house School of Medicine because medicine for the following nonprofit organization to
of the environment of support. I reasons: assist in increasing mi-
wanted to be a part of institution • The financial debt they nority interest in the field
that shared my passion to help incur along the journey; of medicine.
those who needed help the most. • Being discouraged by faculty; I would like to take on a lead-
I wanted to help those that other • Lack of professional mentor- ership position at a hospital to
people over look. ship/guidance; and improve operations/quality of care.
• They think it is too difficult, and I am also interested in becoming
Has the financial burden of don’t have the confidence. directly involved in legislation as it
medical school been particularly It is important to address this relates to healthcare and serving the
difficult for you? Most definitely. shortage because many of the underserved.
In my journey I have built much underserved are people of color. If
financial debt before medical those underserved are being served If you could say or do one thing
school began. This debt has made mainly by those that could never to thank the Bloomberg Philanthro-
me consider pursuing a higher-pay- understand their situation, then pies’ Greenwood Initiative, what
ing specialty rather than working in how can they adequately be served? would it be? If I could do one thing,
primary care; but if I do so, a part There will always be a deficit of I would take the support they have
of me feels that I wouldn’t neces- quality care if this is not resolved. given me and amplify it. In that
sarily be keeping my promise. I amplification, I would share it with
constantly brainstorm ways to still Do you volunteer with any others like myself; those who have
work in primary care and resolve organizations? I volunteer with the a desire to do something great yet
much of my financial debt. STEAM Academy at MSM, serving they lack the mentorship and finan-
as teachers and mentors to elemen- cial assistance to get started.
Please share how scholarship tary students interested in pursuing This would be a big thank
support helps you — academically, the medical field. I also serve at the you to Bloomberg Philanthropies’
professionally, and personally? Aca- H.E.A.L Clinic, gathering firsthand Greenwood Initiative because its
demically, scholarship support frees experience of what it is like to serve support would go further than
my worry about financial issues so the underserved as a healthcare changing the lives of 800 medical
that I can focus on my grades. professional. students.
Professionally, scholarship
support assists me in determining
what field I will choose after medi- Scholarship support assists me in determining
cal school. The less debt I have, the
more likely I am to choose a spe- what field I will choose after medical school.
cialty that coincides with my desire “ The less debt I have, the more likely I am to
to help the underserved. choose a speciality that coincides with my de-
Personally, scholarship support sire to help the underserved.
makes me feel valued.
