Scholarship winners named, fund-raising event to aid clinic
Published on Monday, February 3, 2025
By: Gary Pettus, gpettus@umc.edu
Photos By: Melanie Thortis/UMMC Photography
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Commitment to rural health care earns medical students scholarships
The UMMC School of Medicine has awarded one-year cost-of-attendance scholarships to a group of medical students who plan to practice primary care in a rural and underserved Mississippi community.
The scholarships were presented Friday as part of the two-day Rural Medicine Education Symposium, a forum for physicians, administrators, educators and trainees to examine issues affecting the care of patients in rural communities and to discuss best practices for the various medical educational programs statewide.
Each scholarship is worth up to $83,000 and will be applied to the 2025-2026 academic year.
The awards were made available through the Improved Primary Care for the Rural Community through Medical Education (IMPACT the RACE) Rural Track Program, created to improve access to health care in underserved areas by enhancing rural medical education for students.
“The students receiving scholarships this year have demonstrated a commitment and genuine interest in rural medicine as well as primary care,” said Dr. Loretta Jackson-Williams, vice dean for medical education at UMMC.
“We hope that the support of this scholarship encourages them to come back as practicing physicians so we can witness their impact on our rural communities.
“It’s exciting that we’re beginning to see graduates of our program who are previous scholarship recipients return to the state to practice in these areas.”
The award does not require a rural service commitment, but students who expressed an interest in rural primary care were given preference during the selection process.
The medical students who are winners of one year cost-of-attendance scholarships display their certificates during Friday night's Rural Medicine Education Symposium. Names are listed in the accompanying article.
Each awardee is either a second- or third-year medical student, is in good academic standing and was recommended by a physician preceptor.
The 19 recent scholarship winners are: Shakyra Beasley, Sarah Grace Brownlee, Natasha Burrell, Madison Burton, Cameron Cloud (unable to attend the ceremony), Meredith Cooper, Michael Aaron Goldman, Brooklyn Howe, Alea Jones, Madison Klim, Taylor Lampkin, Caleb McCreary, Jerrian Reedy, Thomas Easton Sheffield, Sara Lynn Sligh, Lauren Sumrall, Ashton Swader, Ann Truong and Claire Wilbanks.
Also recognized were Emilio Luna-Suarez and Jaharah Muhammad, both of whom were awarded cost-of-attendance scholarships in May 2024 and were invited to be part of the ceremony.
“Receiving this scholarship has been an incredible blessing,” said Natasha Burrell of Jackson, a second-year student.
“It alleviates much of the financial strain that comes with medical school, while also reaffirming that there is so much support for students like me who are committed to pursuing a career in primary care and serving underserved communities.
“It also feels good to know that others can see and recognize my genuine passion for this.”
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Jackson Free Clinic chosen beneficiary of WellsFest
The student-run Jackson Free Clinic, which provides free, non-emergency health care to a vulnerable population, has been named the next beneficiary of WellsFest, an annual fund-raising event in Jackson.
Each year, the music festival’s sponsor, Wells United Methodist Church, chooses a different area nonprofit to receive net proceeds from a celebration which has raised more than $1.5 million for these organizations over the years, mostly through sponsorships.
“This is excellent news,” said Qua’niya Head, a fourth-year medical student at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and the chief financial officer for the clinic, whose volunteers are mostly UMMC students.
“We are expanding the clinic, and the proceeds from WellsFest will help us cover some remaining costs, in addition to helping support various projects like our point-of-care lab. So, we appreciate the church reaching out to us, listening to what we have to offer and ultimately selecting us for this year.”
“We look forward to what the future holds as we collaborate with the church in this new partnership and we’re super grateful for the opportunity to serve and uplift more people through this event.”
Church leaders say JFC is a worthy beneficiary of WellsFest 2025, which will be held on the last Saturday of September in Jackson’s Jamie Fowler Boyll Park.