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.
“I hope one day I will be able to help students achieve their goals just as you have helped me,” he said after being awarded one of the $10,000 Minority Scholarships.
Courtesy of seven scholarship programs offered or administered by TMA, 46 students studying in Texas medical schools received awards in 2021 to help further their education. The winners represent a diverse cross section of medical students and a promising future generation of physicians.
Mr. Mpunga said his family experienced health disparities growing up as immigrants from Congo. In his scholarship application, Mr. Mpunga said he believes his calling is to practice in a low-income community.
He plans to pursue a career as an orthopedic surgeon, with an eye on developing a multispecialty health care clinic that serves the needs of the uninsured: “My vision is to be known as an advocate for humanitarian medicine and to lay the foundation for other physicians to follow.”
For Emma Hills, a third-year student at Baylor College of Medicine, the scholarship will help defray the cost of medical school and “allow me to devote my full time and energy towards obtaining the scientific, technical, and interpersonal skills necessary to best serve my future patients. Although medical school is challenging, I consider myself incredibly lucky to be encouraged and supported by the generosity of others.”
Since 1989, TMA has awarded 575 scholarships totaling more than $1.74 million. To find out more about the various scholarships and 2022 application deadlines, visit the educational loans and scholarships webpage.
Congratulations to the 2021 scholarship recipients, listed below by the type of scholarship they received:
TMA Minority Scholarship: A $10,000 scholarship awarded to a first-year student at each of Texas’ 15 medical schools. Students who represent historically underrepresented minorities in Texas medical schools and the physician workforce (Black, Hispanic/Latino, and Native American) are eligible.
- Yaw Agyina Adu, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine
- Caitlin Aguirre, The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) School of Medicine
- Anuska Martinez Arguedas, The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School
- Amy Beristain, University of North Texas Health Science Center Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM)
- Brook Birks, Sam Houston State University School of Medicine
- Victoria Delano, University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine (UIWSOM)
- Felipe Diaz, The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) School of Medicine
- Amanda Figueroa, Texas A&M University College of Medicine
- Alejandra Gutierrez, TCU and UNTHSC School of Medicine (TCU-UNTHSC)
- Ndanzia “Paul” Mpunga, UT Health San Antonio Long School of Medicine
- Dominique Norris, The University of Houston College of Medicine
- Eryn Patin, UT Southwestern Medical School
- Gaspar Pina, McGovern Medical School at UTHealth
- Jamie Provost, Baylor College of Medicine
- Fabiola Ramirez, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Paul L. Foster School of Medicine
TMA 50-Year Club Scholarship: Three $1,000 scholarships offered to second-, third-, and fourth-year students studying at a Texas medical school.
- Yuhung Chou, fourth-year student at UIWSOM
- Aryana Garza, second-year student at UTRGV
- Malini Riddle, third-year student at Foster School of Medicine
Harris County Medical Society Alliance Scholarship: Scholarships available for students attending Baylor and McGovern Medical School. The University of Houston will be added in the fall. Twelve scholarships totaling $10,000 were awarded in 2021.
- Lauren Appel, third-year student at McGovern Medical School
- Spencer Barrett, fourth-year student at Baylor
- Emma Hills, third-year student at Baylor
- Ashley MinYoung Kim, fourth-year student at McGovern Medical School
- Krishna Kosigi, fourth-year student at McGovern Medical School
- Natalie McGinnis, fourth-year student at McGovern Medical School
- Yasmin Mohamoud, fourth-year student at McGovern Medical School
- Veronica Morgan, fourth-year student at McGovern Medical School
- Avilasha Sinha, third-year student at Baylor
- Karen Slater, fourth-year student at McGovern Medical School
- Lauren Smith, fourth-year student at McGovern Medical School
- Ashley Thornhill, third-year student at McGovern Medical School
Krishna Memorial Scholarship: A $1,000 scholarship awarded to a student at each UT medical school.
- Christopher Bacak, fourth-year student at Long School of Medicine
- Lily Carter, second-year student at UT Southwestern
- Oscar Gonzalez, fourth-year student at UTRGV
- Nina Lemieux, third-year student at Dell Medical School
- Romil Patel, fourth-year student at McGovern Medical School
- Viridiana Saenz, fourth-year student at UTMB School of Medicine
- Oscar Gonzalez, fourth-year student at UTRGV
Lone Star Caucus Scholarship: Five $1,500 scholarships for third- and fourth-year students at a Texas medical school who demonstrate interest in serving medically underserved populations in the Lone Star State and who exhibit strong leadership skills.
- Daniel Berry, fourth-year student at Foster School of Medicine
- Jordan Brown, fourth-year student at Foster School of Medicine
- Zachary Kennedy, fourth-year student at UTMB School of Medicine
- Malini Riddle, third-year student at Foster School of Medicine
- Clarence Sparks, third-year student at TCOM
American Muslim Women Physicians Association Merit Award: Three $1,000 scholarships granted to female students in any year of study at a Texas medical school.
- Sahifah Ansari, first-year student at Baylor
- Sejal Lahoti, fourth-year student at Long School of Medicine
- Ida Vaziri, second-year student at Long School of Medicine
AAMAAL Scholarship – Muslim Women Inspiring Hope: Three $1,000 scholarships granted to female students in any year of study at a Texas medical school.
- Hira Aslam, fourth-year student at UTMB
- Amber Broderick, second-year student at TCU-UNTHSC
- Saima Khan, second-year student at Dell Medical School
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