Page 22 - MSM Bloomberg Scholarship

Bloomberg Scholarship Impact

Making Student Dreams A Reality

Gabrielle Carter broader population with those who have the access
various illnesses/condi-
to resources that prepare
Conyers, GA tions. these individuals for the
2nd-year M.D. student exam, which are usually

Why did you choose Morehouse Please share how quite costly. Many Black
School of Medicine? Graduating scholarship support helps pre-medicine students
from a Historically Black Universi- you — academically, are not offered the same
ty/College (HBCU) for my under- professionally, and per- resources or cannot afford
graduate studies, I knew I wanted sonally? The Bloomberg these resources, which
to continue my education at a scholarship will grant me can lead to a lower perfor-
HBCU for medical school. with the opportunity to achieve my mance. This hurdle can discourage
Morehouse School of Medi- aspirations and commit more of Black pre-medicine students from
cine’s mission is the main factor my attention to my studies instead applying to medical school and
that attracted me to apply for ad- of seeking ways to pay for medical medical schools not offering admis-
mission. I loved that MSM empha- school. I am personally heart- sion to many Black applicants.
sizes the importance of serving the warmed that Bloomberg Philan- It is important to address the
underserved and believes in diver- thropies recognize the disparities in shortage of Black doctors because
sifying the medical field. the Black community and decided the American population is be-
From personal experience, I to invest in Black medical students coming more diverse compared to
have witnessed the health struggles to save Black lives. previous decades. The percentage
of underserved populations. As an of Blacks are increasing in Ameri-
African American woman, I want- What is your take on the na- ca and Blacks patients tend to feel
ed to attend a school who believed tionwide shortage of Black doctors? more comfortable with Black doc-
in me. I believe there is a nationwide tors. Also, there are several illnesses
shortage of Black doctors due to a that plague the Black community,

Has the financial burden of variety of factors. Black pre-medi- and it has been reported that Black
medical school been particularly cine students are reported to have doctors truly save more Black lives.
difficult for you? The financial bur- a lower performance on the MCAT
den of medical school has been a compared to other pre-medicine If you could say or do one thing
persistent obstacle of my pursuit to students. While the MCAT is one to thank the Bloomberg Philanthro-
become a physician. It is an obsta- of the main determinants of medi- pies’ Greenwood Initiative, what
cle that is worth it, but a stressor, cal school admission, I believe this would it be? To Bloomberg Philan-
nonetheless. From the costs of discrepancy immediately limits the thropies, thank you for seeing the
applying to medical school to the competitiveness of Black medical Black community. Thank you for
costs of medical school attendance, school applicants. seeing our talent, our obstacles, and
it is an expensive journey. The MCAT is known to benefit our value.
However, I aim to become a
physician in internal medicine,
which is a practice of primary care. I am personally heart-warmed that
With the awareness that special- Bloomberg Philanthropies recognize the
ty doctors receive a higher pay, “ disparities in the Black community and
it can be tempting to change my decided to invest in Black medical students
career pursuit. Yet, I truly aspire to to save Black lives.
become a primary care physician
because of my passion to treat a