Scholarship in Review a Report from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine Scholarship
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SCHOLARSHIP IN REVIEW A REPORT FROM THE LEWIS KATZ SCHOOL OF MEDICINE SCHOLARSHIP "Your investment in scholarship today is an investment in the future of medicine." Larry R. Kaiser, MD, FACS, The Lewis Katz Dean at the School of Medicine Each year the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University carefully assembles a class of students who have achieved academic excellence and demonstrated a commitment to serving others. For many of our students, becoming a Temple Made physician is attainable only thanks to the availability of scholarship funds. Scholarships offer students the ability to meet the expenses of a medical education, free them to choose the path they are most passionate about, and allow them to focus on their studies, not on the cost of their education. In a time when the world increasingly needs excellent physicians, clinicians and researchers, Temple stands strong as a leader in humanistic education for the next generation of physicians. Well-positioned for a lifetime of learning, our graduates discover and treat disease with an overarching goal of providing SCHOLARSHIP YOUR INVESTMENT AT WORK outstanding, compassionate care for each patient. We have a unique focus on service to others, a special connection to our community and a commitment to our neighbors that becomes a way of life, not just a part of our curriculum. The students profiled in the following pages represent the diversity and excellence of our student body. Each has followed a very different path to medical school, and each has been changed by the opportunity afforded them by receiving a scholarship, yet they all have one thing in common—they are grateful for the scholarship support that allowed them to pursue their dreams of becoming a doctor at Temple. With this report, it is our pleasure to say thank you for every gift made to support our scholarship program, past and future, and for the transformative impact of those gifts on our students. The generous investment of those who support our mission ensures our legacy of excellence in medical education. Enjoys studying Anatomy. Chose Temple because he admires its commitment to the North Philadelphia community. Is energized by learning how the body works to keep us alive. Thinks the hardest thing about medical school is disciplined time management. Excited for the unique learning opportunities available to students at Temple University Hospital. TROCON MEETMD CANDIDATE 2021 DAVIS Hometown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania “As a first generation American and the first in my immediate Undergraduate Degree family to go to medical school, I am excited for the opportunity Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Princeton University, 2014 presented to me to continue bringing pride and joy to my loved ones while pursuing a career that I find truly fulfilling.” Intended Area of Practice Undecided Trocon Davis comes from a family with parents who gave him the confidence that he could do anything he set his mind to. He wasn’t sure what that was at first. But then, the medicine bug bit. It was sports medicine that peaked his interest. He was intrigued. But then when he decided he might want to be a physician, he did some work in a research lab. And that really opened his mind. “It spoke to me,” he said. And so has the Lewis Katz School of Medicine’s commitment to its surrounding community. “At Temple, from the first week of classes, they make us aware we are in this community which is in some ways underserved.” “It resonated with my personal values,” Davis said. Trocon is from Philly. He loves its affordability, its culture. “It’s a good place to be young,” he said. He isn’t sure yet what his specialty will be. “I like to have all of my information before I go one way or another." But he will incorporate Temple’s trademark holistic, humanistic approach. “It's important to have an understanding of each individual as a whole person and not just as a patient," he said. "You've got to get to know their full story.” SHELBY MEETMD CANDIDATE 2020 GARCIA Hometown Albuquerque, New Mexico "On my journey through medicine, I will pursue a specialty Undergraduate Degree Bachelor of Science in Biology where I can best serve the community while becoming the best Minor in Biochemistry and version of myself I can be. Scholarship support has made this Spanish, Baylor University, 2016 possible and words alone cannot express how grateful I am.” Intended Area of Practice Undecided Shelby Garcia wasn’t sure about Philadelphia. She’s from New Mexico, and when she first got here she called her parents every week and told them she had made a huge mistake. “Since then I’ve just been falling in love with the city,” she said. At the Lewis Katz School of Medicine, she’s found the best friends she’s had in her entire life. “It’s definitely an intense setting,” she said of medical school. But the group she worked with in anatomy lab last year is helping her through it. It seems they do everything together. All morning in conference. Eating lunch together. Studying together. Happy hours together. Dinner together. Getting ready for board exams. All in it, together. “It’s a very welcoming environment,” Garcia said. None of her family is in medicine. But in high school, she was really interested in science. And, she loved volunteering. Medicine seemed a perfect fit. Medical school is so tiring sometimes all she wants to do is sleep. But it’s sharpened her. She knows now that there are only so many hours in a day. So she is determined to use them to be the best version of herself. Not only academically, or even clinically. But with loved ones. “You can’t do it alone,” she said. And she isn’t. She is going through medical school with the best friends she’s ever had. Favorite block so far is Anatomy. Chose Temple because she was drawn to the diverse community. Is energized by the fast-paced and challenging curriculum. Finds balancing med school and personal life exhilarating. Enjoys spending free time on the Schuylkill River Trail. Enjoys studying Neurology. Favorite rotation to date is Psychiatry. Chose Temple for the opportunity to serve a community that really needs medical support. Loves the exposure to the once-in-a-lifetime experiences that medical school offers. Is challenged by maintaining a sense of self outside of the rigors of medical school. Is releasing a full-length album he wrote and recorded while in medical school. ZACHARY MEETMD CANDIDATE 2019 GUY-FRANK Hometown Philadelphia, Pennsylvania “From lack of sleep, to high levels of stress and uncertainty, I have Undergraduate Degree been pushed out of my comfort zone time and time again. Through Bachelor of Arts in Psychology it, I have built a thicker skin to take on the pursuit of medicine’s Minor in Music University of Pennsylvania, 2010 challenges and pitfalls. This opportunity is something that I am incredibly grateful for.” Intended Area of Practice Psychiatry Who knows why the patient struggling with terrible postpartum depression opened up to the medical student sitting across from her that day. Maybe it’s that he cared enough to stay late. Maybe it’s somehow a result of the Lewis Katz School of Medicine’s emphasis on humanistic care. Guy-Frank wants to be a psychiatrist. He’s already a serious musician. “It allows me to better relate to people, and that’s something I’ve been grateful for,” he said. He almost went into music full time, but making it “professional” had robbed him of its joy. Now, he’s found it again. And his art helps him bond with patients in difficult times. “People have a hard time saying, 'I’m having a hard time right now', " Guy-Frank said. “She felt so scared to admit the feelings she was having. But I left that day feeling like I had done something really worthwhile." Who knows what made that patient open up to him that day. What we know is, he had it. And we need physicians who do. “I may never see her again. But helping her feel not so overwhelmed, as she did in that moment, I feel like I made a difference.” KAITLIN MEETMD/MA URBAN BIOETHICS CANDIDATE 2018 HEALY Hometown Rutledge, Pennsylvania Undergraduate Degree “Becoming a doctor has been a dream of mine since I was a Bachelor of Science in Biology, child, and I am excited to be the first physician in my family. Minor in Psychology Carnegie Mellon, 2012 My scholarship has allowed me to accomplish all that I have and inspires me to give back as well.” Residency Family Medicine, Crozer Chester Medical Center, Chester, PA Everyone is going through something. Kaitlin Healy gets it. She’s glad that the Lewis Katz School of Medicine gets it, too. She loves that. It’s what brought her here. Med students also aren’t known for being great at following wellness advice. So she’s stepped forward to join OWLs (Our Wellness Liaisons), a student mentoring project that’s turned into meaningful research. “School is overwhelming—everyone you know is in medical school. Sometimes it’s hard to take a step back and have some perspective,” she said. “It’s a luxury for people to take the time to worry about their health,” she continued. “That’s sometimes lost, especially in primary care. Doctors sometimes take it personally when patients don’t follow the plan they have put out for them.” Perspective. That’s what she loves about Temple. The perspective. “We get to know whole families of people, and individual patients, really well.