For many students dreaming of a career in medicine, the cost of medical school presents a formidable barrier. But Alabama desperately needs these eager young minds. As physicians, they could help lower other barriers in medicine—the ones patients face—by ensuring access to quality care in every community.
Fortunately, these students are not alone in their quest. Donors to the School of Medicine have made generous gifts to establish two new scholarships—the Manmohan K. Ghanta and Sunitha A. Ghanta, M.D., Endowed Medical Scholarship and the Physicians of Tomorrow Endowed Medical Scholarship—that will provide students with the support they need to realize their potential.
Paying It Forward
Manmohan (M.K.) Ghanta and Sunitha Ghanta say they wanted to establish a medical scholarship at UAB in part to help to others achieve successful careers in medicine like they have.Manmohan (M.K.) Ghanta, M.D., recalls how a similar scholarship helped alleviate his worries about paying for rent, bills, books, food, gas, and other necessities when he was a School of Medicine student in the 1990s. The experience inspired Ghanta, now a general surgeon in Huntsville, and his wife, Sunitha Ghanta, M.D., a family medicine physician who completed her residency at the School of Medicine’s Huntsville campus, to create the new award to “bring the best out of each student,” he says.
“Because of the school’s support and trust in me at the time in my life when I needed it most, I have become what I am today, been able to give my family the opportunities they have, and given the community the professional support it needs,” M.K. Ghanta says.
The Ghantas also hope the recipients of their scholarship will continue the chain of giving when they are able. “Giving back to the university that has provided us with so much is a priority for us,” Sunitha Ghanta says. “I hope the endowment highlights the importance of medical education stewardship as well as provides some financial relief to a well-deserving medical student.”
“My dad passed away few weeks before my MCAT and it was difficult for me emotionally and financially,” M.K. Ghanta adds. “UAB offered me scholarships and support that helped me get through. Establishing this scholarship is one of the best ways to show our gratitude to one of the best medical schools.”
“We are deeply grateful to the Ghantas for their gift to create the Manmohan K. Ghanta and Sunitha A. Ghanta, M.D., Endowed Medical Scholarship,” says Selwyn Vickers, M.D., senior vice president for Medicine and dean of the School of Medicine. “Through their generosity, they will relieve burdens and open doors for medical students, and inspire them to gain the knowledge and skills that ultimately will benefit patients.”
Present and Future Impact
The challenge of paying for medical school can be especially daunting for students who are underrepresented in medicine (URiM)—which, according to the Association of Academic Medical Colleges (AAMC) includes “those racial and ethnic populations that are underrepresented in the medical profession relative to their numbers in the general population.” The School of Medicine also considers those from rural backgrounds to be underrepresented in medicine. “Cost is a real obstacle to pursuing a career in medicine,” says Christina Grabowski, Ph.D., the School of Medicine’s associate dean for Admissions and Enrollment Management.
The Physicians of Tomorrow Endowed Medical Scholarship offers multiple solutions to that problem. While the new endowed medical scholarship will provide students with tuition support in years to come, the fund that created it—a will bequest legacy gift of more than $2.1 million from an anonymous donor—also is making an immediate impact on current students. Just over 60 percent of the gift was invested to establish the new scholarship endowment, while the remaining portion of the gift was directed for current-use or sponsored scholarship support to immediately benefit students in the present. What’s more, this fiscal year, the fund is matching up to $200,000 in gifts from other donors that benefit in-state School of Medicine students who are underrepresented in medicine, magnifying the impact of those donors’ gifts as well. The support will help current and future scholarship recipients “focus on their medical education rather than worrying about how they will pay off hefty student loans” as they begin their careers, Grabowski says.
The unrestricted nature of the gift gave school leadership the flexibility to structure the fund to help more students. Craig Hoesley, M.D., senior associate dean for Medical Education calls the Physicians of Tomorrow Endowed Medical Scholarship fund “an investment in our future. Following a difficult, uncertain year, it gives our current and prospective medical students—from every background—hope, encouragement, and confidence that they can achieve their goals to provide the best care to the people of Alabama.”
For information on medical scholarship giving and current 1:1 gift matching opportunities, visit go.uab.edu/medicalscholarshipgiving, or contact Megann Bates Cain at 205-940-5579 or meganncain@uabmc.edu. To learn more about legacy giving opportunities, visit uab.planmylegacy.org, or contact Kimberley Coppock at 205-975-5970 or kcoppock@uab.edu. – Charles Buchanan