The scholarship, which is pegged to the cost of SUNY medical school tuition is available to those students who have completed an AMSNY post-baccalaureate program and who agree to work in an underserved area in NYS upon completion of their medical education.
To learn more about the AMSNY Diversity in Medicine Scholarship Program visit Diversity in Medicine Scholarship .
Here are our scholarship recipients for 2018/19:
FIRST YEAR SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT
NATASHA BORRERO
Undergrad: Yale University, BA (History of Science/History of Medicine), ’07
Post-Bac: University at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biological Sciences (AMSNY), ’16
Medical School: University at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biological Sciences, MD, ’20
Natasha was born and raised in the Bronx, NY and witnessed “health disparities” long before she was old enough to understand the term. During a leave of absence in her undergraduate career, Natasha served with AmeriCorps at a federally qualified health center in the South Bronx. That experience inspired her to return to the health center after graduation to implement various quality improvement projects with the goal to help make the Bronx a healthier place. Natasha subsequently pursued a Master’s in Public Health from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and worked diligently to get into medical school through the AMSNY Post-Baccalaureate Program. As a physician, she wants to serve disadvantaged and Latino populations within an urban setting. Natasha plans to pursue a residency in primary care and to work with underserved communities improving preventative care.
SECOND YEAR SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
KAROLE COLLIER
Undergrad: Barnard College of Columbia University, BA (Africana Studies), ’15
Post-Bac: University at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biological Sciences (AMSNY), ’16
Medical School: University at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biological Sciences, MD, ’21
Karole was raised by her biological parents who were also foster parents to a number of children and believes that her diverse upbringing exposed her to the power of inclusion and the need for care. When she was in college, Karole’s father experienced long hospitalization after receiving an incorrect hernia repair which exposed Karole to the pitfalls in the healthcare system and which led to her interest in health disparities. Karole feels strongly that all individuals should receive quality treatment regardless of race, gender, disability, neighborhood or history of trauma. Karole intends to work in a publicly funded hospital after completing her training and return to serve the disenfranchised communities that sparked her interest.
MELISSA ESPERT
Undergrad: Middlebury College, BA (Spanish), ’09
Masters: Drexel University, MS, ’11
Post-Bac: University at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biological Sciences (AMSNY), ’14
Medical School: State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, MD,’19
Melissa was born in Brooklyn, New York, and was exposed to medicine through her pursuit of a career in forensics and law enforcement. Melissa took an undergraduate psychology course and then interned at the Medical Examiner’s Office of New York. While working there, she was mentored by the Chief of Staff and Director of Forensic Investigations and learned more about healthcare delivery which changed her path to medical school. As a graduate student, Melissa participated in research related to cardiovascular disease in Latina women of the Bronx and developed a passion for healthcare activism, social justice, and mentorship. Melissa is currently a fourth-year medical student and plans to do her residency in general surgery. She is looking forward to practicing as a female surgeon of color in Brooklyn.
BRADLEY FRATE
Undergrad: State University of New York at Oswego, BS (Biology), ’13
Post-Bac: University at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biological Sciences (AMSNY), ’15
Medical School: University at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biological Sciences, MD, ’19
Bradley, a fourth-year student at Jacobs School of Medicine at the University at Buffalo, gained interested in becoming a physician when he was 10 years old, when a physician took the time to comfort him after delivering the news of his father’s tumor. With his sights on medical school, Bradley attended SUNY Oswego, where the director of the College Science Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) mentored him through the medical school application process. While in medical school, Bradley has volunteered extensively at the medical school’s drop-in clinic where free, routine healthcare and preventive services are provided to underserved and uninsured Buffalo residents, as well as planning and running community events. He is also heavily involved in the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) and their mentoring program for minority students called RX for Success.These experiences have solidified Bradley’s interest and commitment to working as a physician in an underserved area.
CATHERINA LUBIN
Undergrad: Queens College, BS (Psychology), ’13
Post-Bac: University at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biological Sciences (AMSNY), ’17
Medical School: State University of New York, Downstate College of Medicine, MD, ’21
Catherina was born in New York to Haitian immigrant parents who experienced financial hardships. Growing up, Catherina found a community through her church and was active in their community service activities, including distributing food at homeless shelters and playing the violin at a local senior center. Catherina also had hands-on experience with medicine while helping her mother take care of her grandmother who suffered from a number of chronic illnesses as well as a brain aneurism. Monitoring her grandmother’s medications and serving as a caregiver at such an early age sparked Catherina’s interest in becoming a physician, a goal which she has pursued to SUNY Downstate where she is a second-year student this fall. Catherina has worked as a medical scribe for an urgent care facility, giving her a firsthand look at the health disparities in New York. She looks forward to serving a disadvantaged community here when she is finished with her training.
ZACHARIA MOHAMED
Undergrad: Le Moyne College, BS (Biology), ’16
Post-Bac: University at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biological Sciences (AMSNY), ’17
Medical School: State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, MD, ’21
Zacharia was born in war-torn Somalia but was raised in a refugee camp in Kenya by his older sister for 12 years before gaining asylum in the United States. When Zacharia and his sister relocated to Syracuse, New York, he was unable to read, write, or speak English in addition to many other struggles as an immigrant. His passion for medicine grew from watching his older sister lose her eyesight and battle Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder stemming from her experiences in Somalia. After spending some years learning English, Zacharia was a translator for his sister and her healthcare staff which intensified his passion for medicine and for helping individuals in need. Zacharia is back in Syracuse for medical school in his second year at SUNY Upstate Medical University and looks forward to practicing in underserved communities, providing both medical care and empathy gained through his own personal experiences.
AKYA MYRIE
Undergrad: Stony Brook University, BS (Health Science) ’16
Post-Bac: University at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biological Sciences (AMSNY), ’17
Medical School: State University of New York, Downstate College of Medicine, MD, ’21
Akya grew up in Brooklyn, New York, after her mother immigrated from Jamaica to secure better services for her son who is profoundly mentally disabled. Akya learned that while medical care was better in the United States, her mother and brother still struggled to access quality medicine and culturally competent care. This inequity led Akya to pursue a career in medicine but also drove her to serve vulnerable communities and individuals who are chronically underserved. After completing her post-bac degree at the AMSNY University at Buffalo program, Akya is in Brooklyn starting her second year of medical school this fall. Akya describes a commitment to serve as an honor, rather than a requirement, and she is excited to work with an underserved community as a gastroenterologist after residency.
DIANA PEREZ
Undergrad: University of Connecticut, BS (Biological Science), ’14
Post-Bac: State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, MS (Medical Training), ’17
Medical School: Albert Einstein College of Medicine, MD, ’21
Before moving to the Bronx at age 11, Diana lived in the Dominican Republic and initially struggled to learn English when she came to New York. Through her parents’ urging, after graduating from her eighth grade English as a Second Language (ESL) program, she transitioned into a high school without an ESL program and had to quickly pick up the English language. While in high school, she participated in a summer internship at St. Vincent Medical Center’s Emergency Department. It was through this program that she gained a deeper understanding of how important it is for physicians to provide quality care and to help patients make better health choices. After college, Diana worked as a Perinatal Health Coordinator at the Institute for Family Health providing health education and guidance to low-income pregnant women. Diana says that growing up in the Bronx, one of the poorest counties in the country, leads her to view advocacy and justice as an obligation for healthcare professionals. Diana is starting her second year at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and looks forward to providing proactive healthcare to underserved areas.
SEBASTIAN PLACIDE
Undergrad: Cornell University, BA (Sociology), ’12
Post-Bac: University at Buffalo, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biological Sciences (AMSNY), ’16
Medical School: Albert Einstein College of Medicine, MD, ’20
Sebastian grew up in a single-parent home in Brooklyn, New York, where his mother continually sacrificed for his well-being and led him to develop a passion of putting others first at a young age. Throughout high school, he helped translate for his grandmother when she saw the doctor since her physician was not fluent in Haitian-Creole. Even with the language barrier, Sebastian recalls that the physician served as an advocate, healer, and teacher for his grandmother which led him to also pursue a career as a doctor. Sebastian looks forward to serving a medically underserved community because he grew up in one himself and feels it is his duty to return the service. Sebastian is starting his third year at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and has a long-term goal of establishing a health care center in an underserved area to offer holistic and culturally appropriate care.
NEFERTITI TYEHEMBA
Undergrad: Barnard College of Columbia University, BA (Anthropology), ’07
Post-Bac: State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, MS (Medical Training), ’16
Medical School: State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, MD, ’20
Nefertiti was raised in Harlem, New York, as the youngest of six siblings. At a young age, her family and many personal mentors in her community instilled strong values of education, hard work and perseverance, and a deep commitment to community empowerment. Her mother has been a nurse midwife in Harlem for over 30 years, which originally attracted Nefertiti to community- based healthcare. She is interested in medicine because it provides an opportunity for her to advocate for equity in social and health services that under- served communities lack. Nefertiti is passionate about solving systematic healthcare disparities by providing resources for access to mental health services in conjunction with physical health care. She is equally supportive of promoting primary care prevention, as a means to support the growth of more sustainable and healthy communities. She is currently in her third year at SUNY Upstate Medical University and plans to practice in a publicly funded hospital once she completes her training.