TEXAS COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE STUDENT RECEIVES TEXAS MEDICAL ASSOCIATION MINORITY SCHOLARSHIP
Deanna Dial, first year medical student at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, received a Texas Medical Association Minority Scholarship for the 2005-2006 school year.The $5,000 scholarship was presented at TMA’s TexMed 2005 annual meeting May 13 in Grapevine.
“We are very grateful to TMA for their efforts to ease the financial burdens of our medical students,” said Martin Hernandez, associated director of financial aid at the health science center.
This is the second time that a Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine student has received the TMA Minority Scholarship.
“TMA is working toward the goal of funding a minority scholarship for each medical school in Texas,” said Gail Schatte, director of loan funds administration for TMA. “TMA would then be able to award this scholarship to a TCOM student on an annual basis.”
A former student of the health science center, Lekeisha Whitaker, also received a TMA Minority Scholarship at the meeting. Whitaker earned both a post baccalaureate certificate in premedical sciences in 2003 and a master of science degree in science education in 2004 from the health science center. She will be attending Texas A&M Health Science Center in the fall.
“As an alumna, Lekeisha Whitaker winning the TMA Minority Scholarship was a surprise that brought additional honor to our university,” said Doug Shriner, director of financial aid at the health science center. “This was a fact that we were only too happy to expound upon at the TMA Scholarship presentation at the TexMed Annual meeting.”
The TMA Minority Scholarship Program helps minorities who are underrepresented in Texas medical schools to fund their education and helps increase the number of minorities in the state’s physician workforce.
This scholarship program is only one of many for TMA, which has provided a number of scholarships to TCOM students over the years, Hernandez said. TMA also provides low cost loans to students on an annual basis.
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