The Rachel D. Adams TrailblazeHER Scholarship

The White Coats Black Doctors Foundation is excited to announce the Rachel D. Adams TrailblazeHER Scholarship. This scholarship will be awarded to at least one graduating senior at Spelman College, to help decrease the financial burden of embarking on their medical education.
  
Dr. Rachel Adams is a native North Carolinian, and graduate of Spelman College. After completing her undergraduate education, she earned her medical degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and stayed to complete her residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology. Dr. Adams now practices in Baltimore, Maryland.
​As a Spelmanite, Dr. Adams was a...
This scholarship is named in her honor, as a way of encouraging future physicians hailing from Spelman to continue the legacy of women of African descent overcoming seemingly insurmountable barriers to achieve excellence in community service, academics, and leadership.
 
The WCBD Foundation will select up to two Spelman students who have been accepted to medical school for this one-time award.

Applications currently CLOSED.
​Check back soon for the next cycle.

​Awardees

Scroll down to read about our recipients!

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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. 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 current semester. *Special exceptions may be made due to global pandemic, please email fpa@whitecoatsblackdoctors.org with specific questions regarding your coursework & eligibility.

• 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.

 Coming Soon: Profiles on our 2020 Recipient, Ms. Kiyanna Thomas.
Congratulations to these amazing future doctors!

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Past Awardees

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2019 Recipient: Jada Carter
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” – Barack Obama

Originally from New Orleans, LA, Jada is an undergraduate senior at Clark Atlanta University. She will be graduating in May 2020, receiving her Bachelor of Science in Biology. During her undergraduate journey, she has participated in various organizations and programs such as the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), where she served as Chair of Community Service ‘18-19, and The Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (RISE) Program, where she conducted prostate cancer research that led to co-authoring a scientific publication for the journal of Molecular Cancer Research. When taking a breather from studying, Jada loves to participate in activities such as working out, playing with her nieces and nephews, volunteering in the community, and being a mentor for other young black scholars.
Jada’s goal is to care for patients within minority populated communities through clinical and community based medicine. With the ultimate goal being to improve health outcomes, Jada plans to aide in health promotion through methods of community awareness, increased nutritional and recreational resources, and access to quality care without worry of finical barriers. Through overcoming life obstacles and embracing the journey, Jada is a black woman determined to rise. More so, she is a future physician who is dedicated to positively impacting the community, caring for those in need, and diversifying the field of healthcare.

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2018-2019 Recipient: Cheryl Mensah
Cheryl Mensah is a senior undergraduate student and Biology major at Washington University in St. Louis. Originally from Chantilly, Virginia, Cheryl’s passion for medicine is rooted in her drive to return power to marginalized communities, investment in promoting mental health awareness and holistic medicine, and gift for building connection and community. 

For two years, Cheryl has engaged in clinical research investigating social determinants of health and has a published abstract in the Journal of Adolescent Health. She is a proud member of SNMA, and currently serves as the Region II Pre-Medical Representative, where she is committed to getting to know every MAPS Chapter in the Midwest by name and story in order to help build them and their members to their fullest potential. As President of her school’s Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students, Cheryl’s creativity and leadership were central to the massive rejuvenation of the club, leading the chapter to win National MAPS Chapter of the Year, and her to win National MAPS Member of the Year in 2019. On campus, she has also served as a mental health peer counselor, resident advisor, executive board member of her school’s African Student Association, undergraduate representative of the Biology Inclusion Committee, and Teaching Assistant for the Sociology department. Additionally, Cheryl serves as a mentor for many premedical students of color at her campus, and organized and facilitated a Black Mental Health Forum at her institution discussing generational trauma, imposter syndrome, and stigma in the Black community. As an aspiring physician-activist, she continuously strives to integrate community engagement into everything she does and be a leader who promotes diversity and inclusion everywhere she goes."

In her free time, Cheryl loves to laugh with her friends and explore different Black businesses in St. Louis. Regarding future specialties, she wants to keep an open mind, but is very interested in Pediatric Psychiatry. 

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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! 

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"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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