LOS ANGELES, Aug. 19, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) is proud to announce that the American Medical Association (AMA) Foundation has awarded a Physicians of Tomorrow Scholarship to one of its medical students, Ms. Javay Ross. Nominated by Dean Richard Baker, of CDU's College of Medicine, Ms. Ross was chosen by a selection committee using criteria including academic excellence, leadership, community involvement, and also letters of recommendation. Ross joins 14 other students selected from throughout the U.S. who received this special $10,000 scholarship which will help defray their medical school expenses.
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According to AMA Foundation President, Dr. Jean Howard, "These medical students represent the very best of the next generation of U.S. physicians." She noted that all 15 recipients of this scholarship have demonstrated that "their academic achievements as well as their leadership and volunteer activities speak to their commitment to make a difference in the medical profession."
"All of us at the University are extraordinarily proud of Javay and this validation of her achievements," said Dr. Susan Kelly, Charles Drew University President. "She typifies what we look for in all our medical students - the highest standards of excellence, as well as the heart and soul, to play her part in transforming the health of underserved communities."
"I am overwhelmed and feel very honored to have received this award," said Ms. Ross, a fourth year medical student in the CDU/UCLA Medical Education Program, who is from Northern California.
As the philanthropic arm of the American Medical Association, the AMA Foundation has made it a priority to assist medical students. The Physicians of Tomorrow Scholarships were created in 2004 to provide financial assistance to medical students facing spiraling medical school debt. On average, medical students in the U.S. graduate with a debt load of nearly $140,000.
Charles Drew University is located in South Los Angeles, an area that represents 1.6 million of the poorest and most medically underserved people in the nation. CDU's College of Medicine includes the Charles Drew/UCLA Medical Education Program, a unique 30-year partnership that emphasizes the mission of eliminating healthcare disparities and academic excellence. Just last month, the partnership program was recognized by the Greenlining Institute as 'best performer' among University of California medical school programs in training minority physicians. It was also praised for its effectiveness in implementing its unique mission of providing culturally competent doctors committed to working where they are most needed - in diverse and medically underserved communities.
ABOUT CHARLES DREW UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE AND SCIENCE
CDU is a private nonprofit, nonsectarian, minority-serving medical and health sciences institution. Located in the Watts-Willowbrook area of South Los Angeles, has graduated over 550 medical doctors, 2,500 post-graduate physicians, more than 2,000 physician assistants and hundreds of other health professionals. The only dually designated Historically Black Graduate Institution and Hispanic Serving Health Professions School in the U.S. CDU is among the top 7% of National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded institutions and rated one of the top 50 private universities in research in the U.S. Recently, CDU/UCLA medical program was named the "best performer" in the University of California System with respect to producing outstanding underrepresented minority physicians. For more information, visit http://www.cdrewu.edu.
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