ElevateMeD seeks to advance physician workforce diversity through Scholars Program

The nonprofit organization ElevateMeD Inc. has announced its 2023-’24 Scholars Program cohort, a group of 25 underrepresented medical students from across the country who each will be awarded a $16,500 tuition-based scholarship.

According to an ElevateMeD release, the Scholars Program was designed to advance the next generation of physician leaders from African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino and Native American backgrounds. Selected scholars are awarded a tuition-based scholarship, which can help finance their medical degree as well as provide physician mentorship, access to peer network support, leadership development opportunities and financial management education.

The program is now in its fourth year, the release stated, and has awarded more than $1.2 million in scholarships and support to deserving medical students. This year’s scholarship increased by $5,500 from 2022.

“A diverse physician workforce positively impacts health outcomes, specifically where there are diverse patients,” Alyx Porter Umphrey, MD, a neuro-oncologist at the Mayo Clinic and founder and CEO of ElevateMeD, said in the release. “With only 9% of physicians identifying as Black/African American, Native American, Alaska Native or Latinx, ElevateMeD is on a mission to increase physician workforce diversity and improve cultural competence among physicians to reduce health disparities.”