Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. Announce Winner of 2020 Medical School Diversity Scholarship

    SOUTHFIELD, MI, January 20, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The attorneys at Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C., a personal injury law firm in Michigan, are excited to award their 2020 Medical School Diversity Scholarship to Teguru Tembo.

This annual award began in 2014 as a way for the firm to show its commitment to helping medical students pursue their educational and career goals.

Teguru Tembo is currently enrolled at the SUNY Downstate Medical Center studying medicine with a goal to help and advocate for patients who speak languages other than English. Specifically, his focus is on Medical Spanish and Medical Chinese.

Tembo found his passion for advocating for those whose native language is not English when he worked as a teacher in inner-city Los Angeles. While working with students of other cultures and other backgrounds, he experienced firsthand the impact of language. He communicated in Spanish to his Spanish-speaking students and their parents, he was able to re-engage these students and provide them with much-needed support.

Those who do not speak English face difficulties and barriers when it comes to medical care. It's not uncommon for non-English speaking individuals to feel apprehensive about seeking medical attention which often leads to having health issues go unaddressed until it becomes emergent. During his work in community health clinics and by learning and speaking multiple languages, Tembo has been able to connect and engage with more patients which allows them the same access and medical support as English speakers.

It's important for every patient to feel supported by their doctors and to understand their medical needs. Tembo makes it a priority to communicate with those who do not speak English to ensure they are not only receiving the best medical care but that they fully understand what their doctors are saying.

Every year, Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. awards one student with the $2,000 Medical School Diversity Scholarship. The scholarship is available to students attending medical school who is also a member of an ethnic, racial, or other minority, or someone who demonstrates a commitment to issues of diversity within their community.

The firm offers four separate academic scholarships annually for students wanting to continue their education.

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