ElevateMeD Awards $150,000 in Medical School Scholarships to Increase Physician Workforce Diversity

    SCOTTSDALE, AZ, May 06, 2021 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Founded on a mission to close the gap of disparities in healthcare, the Board of Directors of ElevateMeD, Inc. are proud to award $150,000 in scholarships and announce its 2021-2022 ElevateMeD Scholars Program recipients. ElevateMeD, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded by Dr. Alyx Porter Umphrey and Dr. Gregory Umphrey, was developed out of the need to elevate medicine to an ideal where the physician workforce racially and ethnically represents the communities served, thus combatting the disparities faced within our healthcare systems.

According to a 2018 report by the Association of American Medical Colleges, approximately 6 percent of practicing physicians in the United States are Hispanic/Latinx, 5 percent are African American/Black and 0.3 percent are Alaska Native or American Indian, statistics that continue to prove that the physician workforce is disproportionate to the general population of these groups. The ElevateMeD Scholars Program is a multifaceted program designed to develop the next generation of physician leaders from these underrepresented backgrounds. Each Scholar will be awarded a $10,000 scholarship for each year remaining in their medical degree in addition to physician mentorship, access to peer network support, leadership development opportunities, and financial management education.

The Scholars Program, which selected its inaugural cohort of students in Spring 2020, welcomes 10 new students, and additional medical school partners. The 2021-2022 Scholars Program recipients and their respective institutions are as listed:
Camara Sharperson, Emory School of Medicine
Caylan Moore, University of Arizona
Gabriel Moreno, University of Illinois
Hodan Abdi, University of Minnesota
Holly Flores, Oklahoma State University
Jasmine Solola, University of Illinois
Jordan Edwards, Charles R. Drew University
Marin Cabrera, University of Washington
Shanice Walcott, Nova Southeastern University
Stephanie Carter, Howard University

Five Scholars remain from the 2020-2021 cohort and will also be awarded $10,000 for the upcoming academic year. "We are seeing the evidence that our program is making a difference in how these incredible medical students from diverse backgrounds see themselves and how they can use their careers," shares Founder and Executive Director Dr. Alyx Porter Umphrey. ElevateMeD is proud of its five Spring 2021 medical school graduates who will begin residency in the Fall and serve as mentors to the program. "It's an honor to have played a small part in their success."

The organization has raised over a half-million dollars through grants and private donations since launching in 2019. On May 13, 2021, ElevateMeD will commemorate its second anniversary by hosting an online fundraiser for its first Scholars Summit. This in-person workshop will take place on the morning of the annual Fall philanthropic event, The Explosion of Dream, set to take place on October 2, 2021. During the Summit, the Scholars will experience interactive workshops to further their leadership development and have professional headshots taken. To learn more about ElevateMeD and to give a tax-deductible donation, please visit give.elevatemed.org.

ABOUT ElevateMeD :
ElevateMeD is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to elevating medicine by providing scholarships, mentorship, leadership training, and financial management education to future physicians from African-American/Black, Latinx, and Native American backgrounds. Through our Scholars Program, we aim to increase physician workforce diversity and improve cultural competence among physicians to reduce health disparities. Learn more about our mission and vision by visiting elevatemed.org and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @elevatemedinc.

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