VCOM 2023 Annual Report

Student Scholarship Highlights (continued)

The William G. Anderson, D.O. Endowed Minority Scholarship Stephanie Rocha, Class of 2024 – Arlington, Texas “I want to allocate my time as a primary care doctor in medically underserved clinic locations so that I may partake in educating patients about diseases that may be prevented. There are no doctors in my family, and VCOM gave me an opportunity to attend their school to learn the medical curriculum necessary to fulfill my dream of becoming a physician as a first-generation Latina woman.”

Patsy T. Smith Memorial Scholarship

Gavin Scott, Class of 2024 – Hillsville, Virginia “VCOM specifically has afforded me the unique opportunity to both attend medical school and train in the area of Virginia I call home, integrating me as part of the care team to work with members of the community I have grown up in.”

Julie W. Ghent Memorial Scholarship Kaitlyn Shillinglaw, Class of 2024 – Darlington, South Carolina “I truly understand the beauty of practicing family medicine in a small, rural town. Sometimes it can be difficult but is has ALWAYS been worth it. Practicing medicine in rural areas is such a blessing as there are opportunities to truly make a difference in the community and change the lives of patients for the better. My clinical rotations through the Lancaster site have proven time and time again to be the most valuable to me.”

F.W. Sonny Merryman, Jr. Family Endowed Medical Scholarship Jasen Tran, Class of 2024 – Roanoke, Virginia

“I have been serving patients in Montgomery County, Virginia for over six years as a volunteer EMT and have since fallen in love with the idea of staying within the Appalachian region. I am confident that my love for medicine came about by my initial clinical experiences within this community and the people I have had the pleasure to treat and serve.”

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