Navajo Nation and UA Colleges of Medicine in Tucson and Phoenix to Sign Agreement Establishing Scholarship Fund for Navajo Medical Students

Officials with the Navajo Nation Department of Diné Education and the University of Arizona Colleges of Medicine in Tucson and Phoenix will sign a six-year agreement establishing the Navajo Nation Future Physicians’ Scholarship Fund to encourage more Navajo students to pursue careers as physicians.

TIME/DATE:            10 A.M., THURSDAY, MARCH 10

LOCATION:             UA Health Sciences plaza, just south of the College of Medicine – Tucson
                                 1501 N. Campbell Ave., Tucson

Officials with the Navajo Nation Department of Diné Education and the University of Arizona Colleges of Medicine in Tucson and Phoenix will meet in Tucson on Thursday, March 10, to sign a six-year agreement establishing the Navajo Nation Future Physicians’ Scholarship Fund to encourage more Navajo students to pursue careers as physicians.

Navajo Nation President Russell Begaye and Vice President Jonathan Nez; UA Health Sciences Assistant Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Francisco Moreno, MD; UA College of Medicine – Tucson Interim Dean Charles Cairns, MD; and UA College of Medicine – Phoenix Associate Dean of Admissions Tara Cunningham, EdD, will be among those taking part in the signing ceremony.

Key points of the Navajo Nation Future Physicians’ Scholarship Fund:

  • The agreement establishing the fund will be in effect for six years and then reviewed for renewal.
  • The fund will provide financial aid and academic support for up to seven Navajo scholars per year, to help them earn a medical degree from the UA College of Medicine – Tucson or the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix.
  • Current UA medical students will be eligible for the awards, as will students who are accepted into the Pre-Medical Admissions Pathway (PMAP) program at the UA College of Medicine – Tucson, or the Pathway Scholars Program (PSP) at the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix. Both programs are designed to prepare students from rural and economically challenged parts of Arizona to qualify for entrance to medical school.
  • Navajo medical students who receive support from the Navajo Nation Future Physicians’ Scholarship Fund, and earn their medical degrees, will be required to serve the Navajo people for a minimum of five years upon completing their post-MD medical residency programs.
  • The UA Colleges of Medicine in Tucson and Phoenix will match the scholarship funds provided to students by the Navajo Department of Diné (Navajo) Education.
  • Financial assistance will cover tuition.

About the UA College of Medicine – Tucson

The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tucson is advancing health and wellness through state-of-the-art medical education programs, groundbreaking research, and advancements in patient care in Arizona and across the United States. Founded in 1967, the College ranks among the top medical schools in the nation for research and primary care and is leading the way in academic medicine through its partnership with Banner – University Medicine, a new division of one of the largest nonprofit health-care systems in the country. For more information, please visit medicine.arizona.edu.

About the UA College of Medicine – Phoenix 

The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix admitted its inaugural class of first-year medical students in August 2007 and currently has 320 students training to be physicians. The College inspires and trains exemplary physicians, scientists and leaders to optimize health and health care in Arizona and beyond.  The College of Medicine – Phoenix is uniquely positioned to accelerate the biomedical and economic engines in Phoenix and the State by leveraging vital relationships with key clinical and community partners. For more, please visit phoenixmed.arizona.edu.

About the University of Arizona Health Sciences

The University of Arizona Health Sciences is the statewide leader in biomedical research and health professions training. The UA Health Sciences includes the UA Colleges of Medicine (Phoenix and Tucson), Nursing, Pharmacy and Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, with main campus locations in Tucson and the growing Phoenix Biomedical Campus in downtown Phoenix. From these vantage points, the UA Health Sciences reaches across the state of Arizona and the greater Southwest to provide cutting-edge health education, research, patient care and community outreach services. A major economic engine, the UA Health Sciences employs almost 5,000 people, has nearly 1,000 faculty members and garners more than $126 million in research grants and contracts annually. For more information, please visit uahs.arizona.edu.

Release Date: 
03/08/2016 - 6:30am
Original Story: