This July, four medical students in the incoming Class of 2024 were awarded full-ride* scholarships to support their education at the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine.
The scholarships were made possible thanks to an anonymous gift to the Southwest Foundation for Osteopathic Education and Research (SWFOER), a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that provides financial support to Burrell medical students.
“This private foundation strongly supports the mission and vision of Burrell College and SWFOER — to bring more doctors to New Mexico and the Southwest region of the U.S.,” says Victoria Pineda, vice president of institutional advancement at the college. “We are so excited to have them support these aspiring physicians. And it’s not just an investment in our students, it’s an investment in the health and future of New Mexico.”
All students who were awarded scholarships have agreed to complete a clinical rotation — hands-on medical training — at the college’s Southeastern New Mexico hub, which includes the cities of Artesia, Carlsbad, Hobbs, Lovington and Roswell. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, each of these cities are located in counties that are critically low on health professionals. The rural training experience is expected to inspire the medical students to one day work in regions of the U.S. where there are little to no doctors.
In addition, the students must agree to return to New Mexico after their residency training. If a career opportunity is available, he or she will practice as a physician for four years in one of the following regions: Artesia, NM; Eddy County, NM; Chavez County, NM; Lea County, NM; or Las Cruces, NM.
The full-ride scholarships were awarded based on academic achievement, community service, personal integrity and character. Awardees will be able to apply the funds towards tuition, books, room and board and other educational expenses.
Get to know the four Class of 2024 scholarship winners below.
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Originally from Anthony, New Mexico, Erika Anaya is a first-generation college student who graduated with honors from the New Mexico State University and holds a bachelor’s in biology and a minor in biochemistry. As an undergraduate, Anaya worked as a research technician at NMSU, where she studied echinoderms, starfish-like marine animals. She also served as a biology instructor and peer facilitator to assist fellow students with introductory biology.
Anaya is an aspiring bilingual pediatrician who speaks both English and Spanish. She hopes to stay and practice medicine in New Mexico after graduating from Burrell College.
Las Cruces native Adrian Campos is a former medical scribe at the New Mexico Bone and Joint Institute and medical assistant at MountainView Regional Medical Center. The positions gave him his first glimpse into medicine, teaching him how to document patient-provider interactions and even dress patient wounds and administer casts and splints.
Martinez-Campos graduated with honors from NMSU and hold bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and a minor in biochemistry. He was named a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars in 2015 for his high achievement as an undergraduate student. He is currently interested in pursuing internal medicine.
Before applying to medical school, Calvin Memmott pursued a successful career in real estate. Originally, from Queen Creek, Arizona, Memmott holds a bachelor’s degree in biophysics from Brigham Young University.
Memmott is passionate about the Latino culture and is bilingual in both English and Spanish. As a certified nurse’s assistant in Utah, he assessed patients’ vital signs and physical abilities. He also learned how to pack wounds, insert catheters and build a relaxing space for both patients and their families. Memmott is not sure what type of physician he wants to be yet, but he’s most interested in family medicine, emergency medicine and anesthesiology.
Kumail Rizvi is originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biomedical sciences with a focus on chemical engineering from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. As an undergraduate, Rizvi was a member of the American Chemical Society, the pre-medical society and served as president of the Beta Beta Beta National Biological Honor Society. In his spare time, he conducted research on leukemia and DNA damage repair.
Rizvi has shadowed many different types of physicians over the years, including oncologists, surgeons, dermatologists and ear, nose and throat physicians. He is still determining what type of physician he will become, but in the meantime, enjoys learning about all the options.
*The full-ride scholarships do not cover fees.
