First-year medical students receive MAPA scholarships

Dr. Ernesto Parra (center), associate professor of family practice and immediate past president of the Mexican American Physicians Association (MAPA), poses with freshmen medical students (seated L-R) Sarah Trampota, Monica Torres, Lisa Flores, Troy Garza, Cesar Sauceda, Patsy Santistevan, Michelle Magallanez, (standing L-R) Hector E. DeLeon, Jesus Rodriguez, Delfino Garza and Robert Diaz. The students were among 28 first-year UTHSC minority medical students awarded a scholarship from the Mexican American Physicians Association. The scholarship provided each student with a new set of medical instruments required for the first year of medical training at the UTHSC. The goal of MAPA is to improve the delivery of health care services to the medically underserved and to enable disadvantaged students, underrepresented in the health professions, to pursue health care careers. MAPA awards scholarships to minority students annually.