Page 6 - FDHA Report - Flip

FDHA Scholarship Impact

Making Student Dreams A Reality

Scholarship Support More Important
than Ever at Morehouse School of Medicine

ore and more elite medical schools are
committing to scholarship programs that
w
M ill allow some or all of their students to
attend tuition-free. Generous scholarship support and
gifts like those provided by the Fulton-DeKalb Hos-
pital Authority assist our institution’s efforts of imple-
menting this kind of program at Morehouse School of
Medicine.
Scholarship support enables MSM to attract stu- 2019-20 MDYR1 Fulton-DeKalb Hospital Authority Scholars
dents to our mission-driven education program and
allows more financial flexibility to our graduate physi- NEED FOR PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIANS
cians, so they can afford to practice primary care and Studies show that the United States is facing a
serve the underserved as representatives of the diverse shortage of physicians, particularly in primary care
health workforce .... something that our country des- and in rural and disadvantaged areas. To meet this de-
perately needs now. mand, MSM has grown its class size by 56 percent over
Students entering medical school risk accumu- the last few years, and now welcomes 100 MD students
lating debilitating levels of debt, debt that hamstrings annually, helping to increase the number of culturally
them financially and limits their career choices. But competent and compassionate physicians needed to
now, as the country grapples with coronavirus and serve vulnerable urban, and rural, populations.
racial injustice, we as a nation cannot afford to dis- Yet these students face a conundrum. Though
courage students from pursuing jobs that can make the MSM’s tuition is lower than the national average, so
most difference. too are the household incomes of our students. They
There is an urgent need for the healthcare profes- walk away from medical school with debt averaging
sionals that Morehouse School of Medicine is known $254,485, higher than the national average at $190,000,
for educating and graduating — those committed to and therefore sometimes have to choose higher-pay-
serving the Black community and other underserved ing jobs over those that would do the most good for
urban and rural populations. underserved populations.
These are the patients who are disproportionately Because of your support, we are helping to lift that
affected by these pandemics, and hardest hit by issues burden and free these students to go out and make
of access, quality, and equity in health care. They need a difference — and make our medical system safer,
our graduates, but those healthcare professionals can- healthier, and more equitable. We sincerely appreciate
not take on these essential jobs at the frontlines of the FDHA’s support in our mission of creating and advanc-
health crises in our country if they are trapped under ing health equity and look foward to our continued
the crushing weight of medical-school debt. partnership as we make things better together.