The Office of Service Learning has announced the largest cohort of Health Equity Scholars (HES) in the program's history, with 15 medical students embarking on this transformative opportunity. The Health Equity Scholars Program aims to cultivate future physician leaders by equipping them with the skills needed to provide quality health care to communities with less resources.

Selected scholars in the HES program are required to complete 40 hours of direct service work, engage in research or a project, and participate in 4 hours of service learning electives. In addition, as fourth-year students, they will play a critical role in teaching younger cohorts about achieving maximal health. The orientation for the program, held on February 17, 2025, focused on maternal-fetal health, highlighting the crucial intersection of access to care.

The students selected to begin the program this year are MarKayla Bell, Emilee Brodie, Christyn Byrd, Emily Eichastaedt, Daniel Elston, Grace Greenway, Kayla Harris, Lindsey Hitchcock, Kiara Langford, Shreya Majeti, Zeetee Njoku, Naqi Raza, David Reid, Thanushri Srikantha, and Caroline Sturgis.

“We were amazed by the quality of the applicant pool this year, and it was very difficult to select this cohort, which is how we ended up with the largest class on record,” noted Caroline Harada, M.D. “We cannot wait to see what this group does with the opportunity- I am certain they will change the world in important ways.”

Students participating in the Health Equity Scholars Program are also almost guaranteed to earn the new Distinction of Health Equity if they choose to pursue it. This distinction is open to all students who have completed their first semester of medical school. MS1s and MS2s are encouraged to enroll. For more details, visit the Distinction in Health Equity webpage.