The American Medical Association (AMA) Foundation named Sergio Hernandez, a second-year medical student at UCSF, as a 2006 Minority Scholars Award recipient.
As one of only 10 medical student awardees in the country, he will receive a $10,000 scholarship in recognition of his excellence as a medical student and outstanding promise for a future career in medicine.
From El Centro, CA, Hernandez is a graduate of San Diego State University and has received many academic honors. He is involved with both the Latino Medical Student Association and the Student National Medical Association at UCSF. Hernandez has volunteered at a student-run homeless health clinic in San Francisco. He has conducted research to address language barriers and to promote cultural competency in the School of Medicine.
The Minority Scholars Award recognizes scholastic achievement and promise for the future among students in groups defined as "historically underrepresented" in the medical profession. Less than 7 percent of US physicians fall within these groups, which include African American/Black, American Indian, Native Hawaiian, Alaska Native and Hispanic/Latino.
"We are pleased to recognize the outstanding achievements of Sergio Hernandez, and to provide him with substantial financial assistance for medical school," said Peter Carmel, MD, AMA Foundation vice president. "The AMA Foundation is committed to introducing more minorities into the medical profession in order to better reflect the needs of our diverse society. We must ensure the cost of medical education remains within reach of our most talented students."
The AMA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the American Medical Association, has made a priority of helping medical students handle the rising cost of their education. On average, future physicians graduate approximately $120,000 in debt, and in many cases the debt load is much higher.
Since 1950, the AMA Foundation has contributed more than $90 million in educational, research and public health grants.
The Minority Scholars Awards are given in collaboration with the AMA Minority Affairs Consortium, with support from the Pfizer Medical Humanities Initiative.
