Print Share

AMSNY Funds $1.3 Million in NY Medical School Scholarships to Address Lack of Diversity in Medicine

Oct
26
2022

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

The Associated Medical Schools of New York (AMSNY) is proud to announce $1.3M in medical school scholarships and to introduce the 30 underrepresented in medicine recipients of the 2021-2022 AMSNY Diversity in Medicine Scholarship. Designed to increase the diversity of the New York State physician workforce, the scholarship is available to medical students from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine, including Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans. The scholarships address one of the greatest barriers to medical school participation among students from underrepresented backgrounds, the high cost of tuition, and are part of a continuum of programs AMSNY runs and funds to improve diversity in medicine.

The scholarship, $42,000 per year, is awarded for a minimum of two years and a maximum of four years. In return, students commit to working in an underserved area in New York State for a for a similar time period, based on the number of years they receive the scholarship. To be eligible for the scholarship, students must have completed one of AMSNY five post-baccalaureate programs, which create opportunities for students who have experienced barriers to a medical education including financial, academic and social barriers. The Post Bac programs are highly successful, with 94 percent of students going on to medical schools in New York.

Diversifying the physician workforce is an important part of the effort to reduce health disparities, which existed before and were highlighted by the disproportionate impact of the pandemic and have persisted since. 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. This year, 30 scholarships were awarded:  15 due to funding from the Department of Health  and 15 due to support from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation.

AMSNY has overseen programs to increase the racial and ethnic diversity at medical schools for nearly 40 years.  Due in part to AMSNY’s efforts, this year more than 20 percent of medical students attending the 17 medical schools based in New York overall were from underrepresented backgrounds. 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. Last year for the first time, more than 20 percent of first year medical students identified as belonging to one of these groups.  

“AMSNY congratulates our newest Diversity in Medicine Scholarship recipients, who have all demonstrated a passion for medicine and improving the health of their communities,” said Jo Wiederhorn, CEO of AMSNY.  “While there is still much work to be done, we are hopeful that these medical students from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine will go on to help diversify New York’s physician workforce and reduce health disparities.”

INTRODUCING THE 2022-2023 AMSNY SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS 

FOURTH-TIME SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

  • DEASHIA MCALPINE, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, MD, ’23 
  • SAMANTHA WILLIAMS, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, MD, ’23

SECOND-TIME SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

  • DOMINIQUE ALEXIS, State University of New York, Upstate Medical University, MD, ’25
  • 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
  • JUAN PABLO VASQUEZ, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, MD, ’23
  •  

FIRST-TIME SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

  • MALENA ALLBRIGHT, Albany Medical College, MD, ‘26
  • BRADLEY AMAZAN, State University of New York, Downstate Health Sciences University, MD, ’24
  • ANTONIO BOTTOS, University of Rochester School of Dentistry and Medicine, MD, 26’
  • BIANCA AUDREY DUAH, University of Rochester School of Dentistry and Medicine, MD, 24’
  • ISAAC FAITH, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, MD, ’26
  • JULIET MANU, New York Medical College, MD, ‘26
  • JOSUE MERIDA, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, MD, ’26
  • SYDNEY PIGOTT, Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, the University at Buffalo, SUNY, MD, ‘25
  • ALEXIS RIVERA, State University of New York, Downstate Health Sciences University,
    MD, ‘24
  • SADE TAYLOR, Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, MD, ’26
  • RICARDO TOCHIMANI, New York Medical College, MD, ‘26
  • OUMOU TOURÉ, University of Rochester School of Dentistry and Medicine, MD, 26’