The Future Physician Award

This scholarship is awarded to one outstanding undergraduate student who has demonstrated a commitment to pursuing a career in medicine; and, who has shown leadership efforts in addressing the social, economic, and educational barriers which prevent students of color from equal access to, and adequate preparation for, a career as a physician.

View the Application

Now OPEN through October 16, 2019!

​Awardees

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​​Support the Awards  

We're a nonprofit, which means grants like the Future Physician Awards are possible only through your support. Learn more about donating to WCBD. 

Future Physician Award Guidelines

​The White Coats Black Doctors Foundation (WCBD) will cover the full cost of the award recipient's Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) registration, up to $310. If the recipient has already completed their MCAT, she/he will receive $310 toward their AMCAS application. The recipient also agrees to participate in an interview and to be featured on the WCBD website.  

Application Process

Candidates must:

• Be a full-time college/university student; and,
• Be completing either their junior or senior year; and,
• Have demonstrated significant progress in completing at least five (5) of the following courses: General Chemistry I, General Chemistry II, Organic Chemistry I, Organic Chemistry II, Biology I, Biology II, Physics I, Physics II, Calculus I, English (fulfilled your school's English/Literature requirement), Behavioral Science (Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, etc.)
  • Note: No specific major is required to apply for or receive this award. 

Complete the online application at tiny.cc/futuredocapp. You must complete the form in one session, as you cannot save your work and return. After completing the form, you must submit the following via email: 

• An unofficial transcript, which demonstrates you have earned at least 60 credit hours, and are enrolled in at least 12 credit hours for the Fall 2019 semester

• Resume or curriculum vitae

Your application is not complete until you have submitted the online form, the requested documents, and received a confirmation email that your materials were all received. 

Submit your resume and unofficial transcript to fpa@whitecoatsblackdoctors.org.

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Awardees

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2017 Recipient: Aisha Suhaiba
Aisha is a senior at the University of Chicago, who is graduating (early!) in December 2018. Originally from Pickerington, Ohio (a small suburb southeast of Columbus), Aisha plans to be a pediatrician. It was during her childhood in Pickerington that Aisha first piqued an interest in becoming a doctor. 

"My mom is a registered nurse,  and between my incessant questioning (sorry, mom and dad!) and infatuation with Discovery Health Channel, I learned a lot about medicine early on, and decided that that was what I wanted to do," she shared with us in a brief interview. 

Aisha offered some advice for students who may have a non-traditional path through higher education, like hers. "I believe it is important to do what you believe is best for you. As a result, I have had various jobs ranging from Amazon Warehouse associate to Neighborhood Schools Program (NSP) tutor, and every single one has given me indispensable life experience. My work with NSP is what cemented my desire to do pediatrics."

On campus, Aisha's values for "cultural celebration, education, and unity" drove her to leadership roles in the Organization of Black Students, and the African Caribbean Student Association. She also participates in her campus' Minority Association for Prehealth Students, which helped her stay on track in pursuit of a career in medicine. And, in her senior year, Aisha is also looking forward to playing on her school's varsity soccer team for one final season!

"MCAT prep has cut down on my free time quite a bit, but when I’m not doing any of that, I often watch soccer and Netflix, and I love to try new things whether it be YouTubing, piano, or coding!"
 
Aisha is a well-rounded, passionate, and driven young woman and we are proud to add her to the roster of our Future Physician Awardees.  Kudos on all your accomplishments so far, Aisha; we're proud of you! 

"I meet with mentees one-on-one to discuss challenges with studying and with finding their footing as a minority on a predominantly white campus. I find it very fulfilling that I can offer a listening ear to these students and help guide them."

2016 Recipient: Stephanie Nwagwu
Stephanie is a senior undergraduate student at Baylor University, with a major in Health Science and minors in Medical Humanities and Biology. Stephanie's resume boasts an exemplary college career, focusing on leadership activities and academic excellence, but she remains a humble and considerate young woman, who we had the pleasure of meeting at the Region III Medical Education Conference in Jackson, MS. She overcame personal and family obstacles to excel in college, and hopes that as a medical student and physician, she can help others embrace an attitude of perseverance as they work through adversity. She demonstrates through her extracurricular activities her commitment to mentoring others and to exposing more minorities to medicine. These activities mission directly aligned with White Coats Black Doctors' work.

In college, Stephanie worked as a Peer Leader and Teacher's Assistant for freshman pre-medical students,  and serves as President of the Multicultural Association of Pre-Medical Students, and more. She took her passion for mentorship off campus, and created an after-school program at a middle school in Waco, TX, that introduced Latino and African-American students to science and medicine through engaging experiments and activities. She also traveled to the Dominican Republic with physicians from The Good Samaritan Hospital, and provided primary care services for men, women, and children living in bataeys. In her spare time, she loves practicing the ukulele and performing with her African dance team at Baylor.

With all of these accolades, Stephanie has every right to be carefree in her senior year. But, she remains a humble, dedicated student, working diligently on her medical school applications. She was elated to be named the 2016 recipient of the WCBD Future Physician Award, and we are proud of her efforts to address the social, economic, and education barriers which prevent students of college from equal access to a career as a physician. We encourage aspiring doctors out there to look at Stephanie's trajectory as one example of all the ways to get to medical school. This future obstetrician-gynecologist follows her passions, and participates in activities that mean something to her, rather than checking off boxes on a list. That's what makes a well-rounded, genuine medical school application. Ultimately, Stephanie "loves serving God and serving her community" and we look forward to all the great achievements she will accomplish in the future. Please join us in congratulating our first annual Future Physician Award winner. Congratulations, Stephanie! 

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