The Medical Association of the State of Alabama awarded $5,000 in scholarships to medical students Bria Gamble and Jaleah Wiggins to help pay the cost of medical school.
The Underwood Minority Scholarship Award is named in honor of Dr. Jefferson Underwood, III, a Montgomery physician who was the first African American man to serve as the Association’s president. African American students who are already attending medical and osteopathic school or who have been accepted to school are eligible to apply for the scholarship.
Gamble is currently working toward her medical degree at UAB’s Heersink School of Medicine. She is a student member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics, and was honored by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation’s Humanism Honor Society.
Wiggins graduated from UAB in 2004 with a Master of Science degree in Biomedical and Health Sciences. She is currently serving as a tutor at the UAB School of Health Professions, a volunteer at the UAB Mini Medical School, and a volunteer as a crisis counselor.
“Alabama physicians are honored to present these scholarships to such distinguished medical students and future doctors,” said Dr. Mark LeQuire, president of the Medical Association. “These students have demonstrated remarkable dedication and promise in their pursuit of a career in medicine. The Underwood Minority Scholarship Award aims not only to alleviate the financial burden of medical education, but also to empower individuals to become outstanding leaders in medicine.”
