Brian Vandenberg and the Office of the General Counsel recently partnered with the AMA Foundation to establish a new Physicians of Tomorrow scholarship fund in honor of David Jones Peck, MD, the first African American doctor to graduate from an American medical school – Rush Medical College in Chicago in 1847. The AMA was founded in Chicago that same year.

As a result of this partnership, a $10,000 scholarship will be awarded annually to a medical student who has demonstrated a commitment to addressing health disparities and promoting health equity in diverse, economically disadvantaged, urban environments. The new David Jones Peck MD Health Equity Scholarship Fund was officially announced on National Doctors’ Day 2018 and will be awarded in conjunction with National Minority Health Month.

Brian Vandenberg recently shared his inspiration for the scholarship, “The AMA Foundation’s Physicians of Tomorrow scholarship program is a wonderful opportunity to invest in exceptional med students as they pursue important goals. I’m proud of the work of the AMA and the AMAF to address health disparities and promote health equity. This scholarship will help aspiring physician leaders join with us to champion this cause as they serve patients in economically disadvantaged communities, while also celebrating the legacy of David Jones Peck as a med student pioneer.”