AMA Foundation Scholarship Recipient Profile

Someone You Should Know

Minority Scholars Award Recipient Profile

Michael Nevarez

Name: Michael Nevarez
Hometown: San Jose, CA
Scholarship received: 2007 Minority Scholars Award, in collaboration with the AMA Minority Affairs Consortium, with support from the Pfizer Medical Humanities Initiative
Medical school: Harvard Medical School
Year in school: Second Year
Favorite areas of study: Cardiovascular pathophysiology

What are your career goals?
I hope to have a successful combination of both clinical practice and research activities. I am very inspired to contribute my efforts to the public health arena in underserved communities in order to implement effective health interventions to alleviate disparities.

How has the Minority Scholars Award helped you?
This award has given me great inspiration to continue forward with my career goals with less of a financial burden. With the rising debt levels that students are now taking on, I feel areas of primary care and the public health sector are passed up by many students early-on in their careers. This award has alleviated some of my debt burden so that I won't have to compromise some of my own career decisions with tackling debt. Some of these decisions I wish to make in the future may be graduate education in public health and/or public policy, and further research opportunities with entities that have great need but little funding (e.g., the Indian Health Services). I am tremendously grateful to the AMA Foundation for recognizing my career goals and aspirations with such a generous award.