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Twice the Number of New York Students Receive Diversity in Medicine Scholarship for Medical School

Oct
25
2021

Students from Underrepresented Backgrounds Awarded Scholarships, Commit to Working in Underserved Areas

(New York)—The Associated Medical Schools of New York (AMSNY) is proud to introduce the 21 recipients of the 2021-2022 AMSNY Diversity in Medicine Scholarship. Designed to increase diversity among New York State’s physician workforce, the scholarship is available to medical students from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine who commit to working in an underserved area in NYS upon completion of their education. 

Diversifying the physician workforce is an important part of the effort to reduce health disparities across New York State, which were highlighted by the disproportionate impact of the pandemic. The AMSNY Diversity in Medicine Scholarship was launched in 2017 with funding from the New York State Department of Health, thanks to support from the New York State Legislature and the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus. The NYS DOH currently supports 11 scholarships. This year, an additional 10 scholarships were funded by the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation. 

AMSNY has overseen programs to increase the racial and ethnic diversity at medical schools for nearly 30 years.  This year, for the first time, more than 20 percent of first year medical students attending the 17 medical schools based in New York were from underrepresented backgrounds, yet the diversity gap remains large.  Underrepresented minorities (Blacks/African Americans & Hispanics/Latinos) make up approximately 31.1% of New York’s population but only 12.1% of the state’s physician workforce.

“AMSNY congratulates this year’s Diversity in Medicine Scholarship recipients, each of whom is passionate about medicine and improving health disparities in underserved communities,” said Jo Wiederhorn, CEO of AMSNY.  “Through this program, we’re able to reduce barriers to a medical education for students from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine, helping to diversify New York’s physician workforce and reduce health disparities.”

The scholarship helps to address the financial barriers that medical students from underrepresented backgrounds face. To be eligible for the scholarship, students must have completed one of AMSNY four post-baccalaureate programs, which are designed to create opportunities for students who have experienced barriers to a medical education including financial, academic and social barriers.

INTRODUCING THE 2021-2022 AMSNY SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS 

THIRD-TIME SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

  • DEASHIA MCALPINE, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, MD, ’23 
  • MICHEAL OLUWAFEMI OLU-TALABI, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University,
    MD, ’22
  • SAMANTHA WILLIAMS, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, MD, ’23 
  • EMELIO WOODSTOCK, Medical School: Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, MD, ’22 

SECOND-TIME SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

  • OBIOESIO BASSEY, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, MD, ’22 

FIRST-TIME SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

  • DOMINIQUE ALEXIS, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, MD, ’25
  • ALEJANDRO ANDRADE, New York Medical College, MD, ’22
  • JESSE KWAME ASIEDU, State University of New York, Downstate Health Sciences University,
    MD, ’25
  • COLLEEN BECKFORD, State University of New York, Downstate Health Sciences University, MD, ’23
  • HILARY BRIGHT, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, MD, ’23 
  • DEVANTE BRYANT-NURSE, Albany Medical College, MD, ’25
  • VANESSA CHICAS, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, MD, ’25
  • DANYA CONTRERAS, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, MD, ’25
  • JOSE DELIZ, State University of New York, Downstate Health Sciences University, MD, ’25
  • JERLIN GARO, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, MD, ’25
  • ROMARIO GIBSON, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, MD, ’24
  • KATHERINE GUZMAN, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, MD, ’25
  • NNEKA ONWUMERE, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, MD, ’24
  • LUNA PAREDES, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, MD, ’25
  • ROBERT SIMMONS, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, MD, ’24
  • SAVANNAH STEWART, Albany Medical College, MD, ’25

About AMSNY

The Associated Medical Schools of New York (AMSNY) is a consortium of the 17 public and private medical schools throughout New York State. AMSNY’s mission is to promote high quality and cost-efficient health care by assuring that the medical schools of New York State can provide outstanding medical education, care and research. The combined total of New York’s medical schools economic impact equals more than $85.6 billion. This means $1 in every $13 in the New York economy is related to AMSNY medical schools and their primary hospital affiliates. For more information on AMSNY, please visit: www.amsny.org.