A four-year scholarship program established in 2019 by the Partnership Education and Research Committee supports the recruitment and retention of medical students from communities disproportionately impacted by health inequities or adverse health outcomes. Funds will be provided to two or more medical students matriculating at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) for up to $40,000 per year.
“Assuring a diverse physician workforce is a necessary component of the mission of SMPH to improve the health of the people of Wisconsin through service, scholarship, science and social responsibility,” said Jonathan Temte, MD, PhD, MS, associate dean for public health and community engagement and principal investigator of this initiative.
A recent study published in the Journal of the National Medical Association concluded that increasing physician diversity in all specialties is essential to improving health care for underserved communities. In addition, students from diverse and historically underrepresented backgrounds who become providers may be more likely to practice in underserved areas, and some evidence suggests that racial and ethnic concordance between patients and providers can improve patient satisfaction and outcomes. With this scholarship, the Wisconsin Partnership Program and UW School of Medicine and Public Health are working to create and sustain a physician workforce that reflects and keeps pace with Wisconsin’s diverse population, and ultimately improves health outcomes for all Wisconsinites.
