October 2007

Three local high school students with ambitions to become doctors headed off to college this fall with some well-deserved and much appreciated financial help from the Palo Alto Medical Clinic's (PAMC) Pre-Medical Scholarship.

The scholarship, which was established in 1993 and is funded by PAMC physicians, provides $5,000 a year for four years (a total of $20,000) to students in the communities PAMC serves who attend a four-year college and plan to pursue careers as doctors.

Unlike most other scholarships, which are one-time awards, the PAMF scholarship repeats for all four years of college. "This scholarship not only provides financial help to deserving students in our community who need it, but it also rewards the best of the best--young adults who are truly outstanding scholars who have demonstrated a commitment and desire to give back to the community," said Rebecca Leon, M.D., chair of the PAMC Scholarship Commitee.

When asked what the PAMC scholarship means to him, scholarship winner and Palo Alto High School graduate Ross Castillo said, "It means I won't have to devote as much time to work. I can study, do research, volunteer in the community and enjoy the overall college experience." Castillo, who is attending the University of California, San Diego, is interested in a career in pediatrics.

Fellow scholarship winner Valerie Chen, a graduate of Mountain View High School who is attending the University of California, Berkeley, said receiving the PAMC scholarship offers her more than financial support; it gives her the confidence to pursue her dreams.

"Receiving the PAMC scholarship set the gears in motion and affirmed that I could be a doctor," said Chen, who is planning a career in public health and hopes to work in underserved communities. "Not only is the award financially fulfilling, but it also made me feel good that these doctors chose me because I have the qualities they think will potentially help me be a doctor and that they think I can do it."

Eastside Preparatory graduate and PAMC scholarship winner Adam Hall, who is attending Santa Clara University, plans to become a plastic surgeon. "I come from a low-income family, and the scholarship helps relieve the burden of tuition," said Hall. "It helps close the financial gap, which puts less stress on my family and on me, and it will allow me to have more time for studying."

High school students interested in applying for the scholarship next year should contact their college guidance counselors in January.