Stories written by Tammy Wishard

When Physicians Need Treatment, TMA’s PBF Wellness Fund Can Help - 09/23/2022

If COVID-19 or other conditions are affecting your well-being, the Texas Medical Association is here to help you seek assistance.

Financial Stress During Residency? TMA Low-Interest Loans Can Help - 09/16/2022

“Professional and fast.” That’s how one Texas resident physician described the application process for a low-interest loan from the Texas Medical Association, which bridged the gap before he received his first paycheck during residency.

TMA Offers Low-Interest Loans for Students, Resident Physicians - 09/16/2022

If life throws a financial curveball during medical training, it can be overwhelming. The Texas Medical Association’s low-interest loans for medical students and residents can help.

Moving After Your Match? TMA’s Low-Interest Loans Can Help - 09/16/2022

If you found out your residency destination during last week’s Match Day, but now find yourself scrambling to gather the funds to get there, the Texas Medical Association is here to help you finance the next leg of your medical education.

TMA Science-Teaching Grant Contributes to Novel Scientific Discovery in Texas - 09/12/2022

Fifth-graders at an Austin elementary school, with the help of their Texas Medical Association-honored science teacher Hannah Cotten, discovered three new species of microscopic animals on their school campus. The microscopes students used to make the discovery were purchased with a resource grant Ms. Cotten received as a winner in TMA’s Ernest and Sarah Butler Awards for Excellence in Science Teaching.

More Than Money: Scholarship Helps Medical Students Focus on Training - 08/15/2022

For medical students like John Austin, Alexa Ciarolla, and David Garate, a scholarship means much more than just lightening their financial load. It means connection with and support from the Texas medical community. It means more focus

Need Help Paying for Medical School? Check Out These TMA Scholarships - 07/18/2022

Second-year medical student Aryana Garza is the first member of her family to attend medical school. Receiving the Texas Medical Association’s 50-Year Club Scholarship eased some of the obstacles she has faced in that endeavor.

Why the Physicians Benevolent Fund Is Important: A Conversation - 07/11/2022

When physicians and their families encounter personal hardship – such as a widow left with a family to raise following her physician husband’s death, or an elderly couple struggling to make ends meets as their savings dwindle following a dementia diagnosis – the Texas Medical Association’s Physicians Benevolent Fund (PBF) is here to help.

Science Teachers Inspire Future Physicians, Earn TMA Honors - 06/27/2022

The foundation for a great physician begins in a classroom, with inspiration from passionate science teachers. Three outstanding Texas science teachers received the Texas Medical Association’s 2022 Ernest and Sarah Butler Awards for Excellence in Science Teaching at a ceremony in Austin earlier this month.

Physicians Benevolent Fund Supports Physicians in Need - 06/07/2022

The Physicians Benevolent Fund helps support physicians and their immediate families who fall on desperate financial times or who are in treatment, perhaps as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or because of other circumstances. TMA family members can support PBF in two ways.

Help a Physician in Need With a Referral to The Physicians Benevolent Fund - 06/07/2022

It’s often said that talk is cheap. In the case of The Physicians Benevolent Fund (PBF), the payoff for a little talk could be huge for a colleague or friend in need. By sharing information about PBF or by referring someone to the Texas Medical Association, you could give a friend or colleague a much-needed hand up.

Burnout a National Problem; TMA Wellness Fund Can Help - 06/06/2022

In a recent advisory calling attention to health care worker burnout, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, MD, highlighted the broad response the situation calls for: “We must ensure that every health worker has access to affordable, confidential, and convenient mental health care.”

For Doctors Who’ve Suffered a Stroke, Physicians Benevolent Fund Can Help - 05/25/2022

Alison H. Brown, MD, couldn’t have imagined what lay ahead for her as she started down the path to a career in women’s health in the late 1980s.

Treating the Underserved: Scholarship Winners Strive to Help Overlooked Patients - 05/23/2022

Growing up in a socioeconomically disadvantaged Dallas neighborhood helped first-generation medical student Jasmine Jones understand the complexities of caring for underserved patients.

Health Literacy, Cultural Connections Drive These Students’ Passion for Medicine - 05/16/2022

Personal and cultural experiences – such as watching a family member endure chemotherapy – can fuel a passion to pursue a career in medicine. Three female medical students described the “why” of their career path, helping them earn the American Muslim Women Physicians Association Merit Award.

TMA Is Here For Medical Students Who Need Financial Help - 04/05/2022

It’s a common dose of reality for many aspiring physicians: “I got accepted to medical school! Now how will I pay for it?”

TMA Awards Hundreds of Thousands in Scholarships for 46 Medical Students’ Futures - 04/05/2022

For Ndanzia “Paul” Mpunga​, a first-year student at UT Health San Antonio Long School of Medicine, winning a Texas Medical Association Minority Scholarship not only lightens his financial burden. It also inspires him to give back.

Prevent Physician Suicide With These TMA Tools - 04/05/2022

When suicide hits close to home in the physician community, its impact can be devastating. The Texas Medical Association offers resources aimed at prevention, and today’s National Physician Suicide Awareness Day promotes dialogue about this important topic.

TMA Insurance Trust Gift Helps Struggling Physicians - 04/05/2022

Physicians who’ve fallen on tough times won’t lack for help thanks to a $15,000 gift the Texas Medical Association Insurance Trust (TMAIT) has made to support physicians who seek assistance through TMA’s Physicians Benevolent Fund (PBF). TMAIT’s gift is the second of three annual contributions it will make to PBF through 2023.

TMA Physicians Benevolent Fund Helps Sustain Medical Families in Need - 03/29/2022

Healer. Comforter. Hard-working. Resilient. Skilled. Empathetic. As we honor our physicians on Doctor’s Day for all the invaluable roles and noble qualities you offer your patients and communities, remember the Texas Medical Association is here if you encounter times when you need help, hope, and healing through The Physicians Benevolent Fund.

TMA Scholarship Helps Medical Students Put Patient Care Goals First - 03/25/2022

Thanks to the Texas Medical Association’s 50-Year Club Scholarship Fund, three medical students are receiving a $1,000 scholarship in recognition of their outstanding academic performance.

Apply Now: Scholarships for Students Who Want to Serve the Underserved - 03/14/2022

Once Texas medical students become physicians, the Lone Star Caucus hopes to keep them in Texas. That’s the aim of the Lone Star Caucus Medical Student Scholarship.

Apply: Female Medical Student Scholarships - 03/07/2022

Female medical students with an eye on serving their communities can now apply for the American Muslim Women Physicians Association (AMWPA) Merit Award, just like Sejal Lahoti did.

How the Physicians Benevolent Fund Saved These Doctors’ Families - 02/28/2022

After he became disabled in an automobile accident, a Texas physician and his wife quickly ran through the funds awarded in a legal settlement for his ongoing medical bills.

Nominate Outstanding Journalists for TMA’s Anson Jones Awards - 12/14/2021

Each year, members of the Texas Medical Association’s Council on Health Promotion and former journalists have the tough job of selecting the best of the best in health reporting. Their picks earn TMA’s annual Anson Jones, MD, Awards.