Page 8 - Scholarship Report 2020

Scholarship Impact

Making Student Dreams A Reality

Diana Guijarro Gaete Share your experience so far at Morehouse School of
2nd-year M.D. student Medicine? My experience at MSM has been amazing! It is
always nice to see so many underrepresented minorities
What first interested you in like myself pursing an MD degree. I feel the support from
your study of medicine? When I was everyone in my class, and we are a team who want to
about 12 years old, I had a thyroid- succeed to accomplish our goals.
ectomy performed in Ecuador. My What do you hope to accomplish after graduation/
parents couldn’t afford healthcare residency? My goal after graduating is to match in Cali-
insurance in the United States, and fornia. My mission is to serve my Hispanic community
I was forced to wait until every and serve as a mentor to other Latino aspiring physicians.
summer to get my follow-up visits Growing up, I did not see many Hispanic doctors, and I
with a physician either in Ecuador or Tijuana, Mexico. saw the treatment my parents received just because of the
Experiencing firsthand not having accessible healthcare language barrier. I want to help contribute to this change
in this country, gave me the motivation to pursue a career and increase the diversity of healthcare providers in the
in medicine with the hope of helping the uninsured and US.
underserved communities. If you could say one thing to thank your scholarship
Do you volunteer with any organizations? I volunteer supporters what would it be? I would say thank you,
at the HEAL Clinic taking vitals as well as serving as an thank you so much! Your scholarship support gave me
interpreter for Spanish speaking patients. Also, I am a the strength to pursue my career. Most underrepresented
chair for MSM’s Student National Medical Association, students think twice, and that was me second guessing
and we recently hosted an event called First Look. This this career. I am a first-generation college student, and
event provides guidance and mentorship for underrepre- it has been hard. Your scholarship award gave me the
sented monitories who are interested in pursuing a career strength and confidence to not give up on my dream of
in the healthcare field. becoming a doctor, and I will forever thank you for your

financial support.

Jay N. Mainthia Share how scholarship support helps you academical-
2nd-year M.D. student ly, professionally and personally? Knowing that I do not
have to take as much in loans takes an enormous weight
• Why did you choose More- off my shoulders. Even now, there’s a sense of this huge,
house School of Medicine? I appre- mass of debt slowly gaining power every day. But the
ciate the focus Morehouse School scholarship support eases that fear considerably.
of Medicine places on primary care What makes MSM special? So far, my experience
education and research, and hope been wonderful! At my undergraduate institution, I never
to take full advantage of its resourc- had teachers this invested, who clearly want you to suc-
es and partnerships. With a MSM ceed. I assume this is because most of the faculty are so
medical degree, a physician assumes a position of trust mission-driven. Similarly, it’s shocking how non-compet-
and power that makes him or her an effective advocate itive my class is, and how eager everyone is to help each
in the fight for health justice. MSM, with its commitment other out. It’s a great environment to learn and uncom-
to the advancement of health equity, is perfectly aligned mon in a lot of medical schools.
with my values. If you could say one thing to thank your scholarship
Do you volunteer with any organizations? I volunteer supporters what would it be? I would say thank you for
at MSM’s free HEAL Clinic. It’s the perfect way to volun- believing in me. Also, I would say that their donations
teer and see real-life applications to the things we learn make it easier for the students of Morehouse School of
in class. Plus, it’s an opportunity to meet and learn from Medicine to fulfill the schools’ most admirable mission,
second and third year students who I wouldn’t otherwise which is the creation and advancement of health equity.
meet.