Congratulations Alliance Medical Education Scholarship (AMES) Fund Recipients
The Alliance Medical Education Scholarship (AMES) Fund was established in April 2000 to financially assist deserving medical students enrolled in an accredited Pennsylvania allopathic or osteopathic medical school. The Fund is supported by Alliance fundraising events, and general and memorial contributions. Since 2003, the fund has provided 150 scholarships amounting to $367,500.
In 2018, the AMES Fund awarded scholarships to nine deserving medical students. In their applications for scholarship, they were asked to describe their vision for the future of Pennsylvania medicine. An excerpt from each essay is included with their names below.
Carly E. Sokach
Class of 2019, Sidney Kimmel Medical College
The Robert and Arlene Oyler Award of the AMES Fund – $3,000
Sokach also received the Prendergast Award in 2017, for a total of $5,500 from the AMES Fund.
“I chose to pursue my medical education at Sidney Kimmel Medical College (SKMC) at Thomas Jefferson University because of the emphasis that this institution places on patient-centered medical care. Humanism and empathy have always been core tenants of SKMC’s mission but over the last few years they have become more and more entwined with the educational goals of the institution.”
Kent D. Upham
Class of 2019, Penn State University College of Medicine
The Dr. William J. West, Jr. Award of the AMES Fund – $2,500
In memory of Dr. William B. West and in honor of Dr. William J. West and Joyce West, medical and Alliance leaders
“Currently, only nine percent of physicians practice in rural areas, where more than 20 percent of the population resides. This poses a particularly large problem for the state of Pennsylvania, with the third largest rural population in the country. These rural residents have higher rates of death in infants, youth, and adults; receive less preventative and mental health care; and are more often medically uninsured and poorer than their urban counterparts. The future of Pennsylvania medicine is intimately linked with finding effective ways to lessen this shortage and make health care accessible to all Pennsylvanians, regardless of ZIP code.”
Cristine H. Oh
Class of 2020, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
The Barbara Prendergast Award of the AMES Fund – $2,500
“I personally believe that psychiatry is the cornerstone of integrative and holistic health as it takes into account not only the body, but the mind. Furthermore, I believe that child psychiatry – in particular – is the ultimate form of preventative medicine. Children are resilient and receptive, and early interventions can potentially head off a lifetime of health complications.”
Gillian R. Naro
Class of 2020, Penn State University College of Medicine
The Dauphin County Medical Society Alliance Award of the AMES Fund – $2,500
In honor of Mrs. Sheron Andrews
“We have built upon the foundational discoveries of the past and today we practice medicine in a way that our predecessors could have hardly imagined. Medicine is a relay race: we work as hard as we can, run our leg, and pass the baton. However, as we progress and discover we must make sure that any future innovation reaches all corners of society. Pennsylvania is a beautifully unique state in that we house metropolitan centers and rural country sides, with a diverse population spanning them both. … I see the future of [Pennsylvania] medicine leading by example in expanding access to all members of our community.”
Benjamin J. Carnahan
Class of 2020, Penn State University College of Medicine
AMES Fund Scholarship – $2,500
“In reality, most people don’t receive health care services not only because of limited access due to distance or transportation, but also because of how lower a priority the idea of health care is in their hectic lives. In my view of the future of medicine in Pennsylvania, we will put emphasis on offering more resources to these types of communities – the underserved population, by increasing access to health care providers, offering more affordable health care options, and extending greater patient education.”
Sarah M. Minney
Class of 2020, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
AMES Fund Scholarship – $2,500
“Before medical school, I was a childcare worker for a non-profit that provided 24/7 emergency daycare for families in crisis. … While I knew that I wanted to pursue a primary care specialty before I started working at the crisis nursey, it was the struggles I bore witness to while working there that sparked my passion for patient advocacy and public health work. … It is my vision for Pennsylvania that all health care policies will aim to support the most marginalized of our populations, and that society’s divide between our social services and supports and our health care system will be dissolved.”
Grace O’Neill
Class of 2020, Penn State University College of Medicine
AMES Fund Scholarship – $2,500
“Across the board (northeastern, northwestern, south central), people are being affected by the opioid epidemic. All people are affected: those taking the drug, their families, their friends, the doctors treating them. It is out of hand. This is why I believe in order to face this battle head on we need more physicians, EMT, and paramedics to be aware that they may need to use Narcan or naloxone for the unconscious patient. We need more training in medical school on the presentation of someone who is drug seeking in our offices. We need more training in medical school on where to find these people help for their addiction and disease.”
Katherine E. Shoemaker
Class of 2020, Penn State University College of Medicine
AMES Fund Scholarship – $2,500
“While Pennsylvania may be home to thousands of physicians in training, something is keeping them from providing care for those in the state who need it most. My vision for the future of Pennsylvania health care involves working toward addressing the health care needs of the underserved populations in the state so as to provide Pennsylvanians with adequate health care.”
Meghann E. Zapcic
Class of 2020, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
AMES Fund Scholarship – $2,500
“I want to be the best doctor I can possibly be in my community, and my vision for health care reflects the environment I see benefiting my patients the most. The future of Pennsylvania health care must accentuate increasing communication among medical providers and between patients and providers, all while emphasizing preventative care, education and affordability.”