More students from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) are staying in or returning to Hawaiʻi to practice medicine compared to 10 years ago, a trend school leaders credit to strong scholarship support.
That success was celebrated at JABSOM’s Annual Scholarship Dinner on January 15, a special night that connects medical students with the donors helping make their dreams of becoming doctors possible.
Today, 93% of JABSOM students receive a scholarship, and 70 of those awards come with a service commitment. Students who accept those scholarships agree to serve Hawaiʻi for a set period of time after graduation, helping address the state’s ongoing physician shortage.
“We have a tremendous physician shortage in the state so every graduate that we can retain in the state is a big plus for us,” said JABSOM Dean Sam Shomaker. “Scholarships make that possible because we keep the cost of attendance of medical school very modest so careers in medicine are within reach for virtually any of our talented young people who want to have careers in medicine.”
Community roots to real-world impact
One student featured at the dinner was Quan Lac, whose journey to medicine reflects resilience and dedication to his community. Born in Kalihi-Palama to Vietnamese immigrant parents, Quan cared for his grandmother through serious illness and balanced family responsibilities while pursuing school. He earned a full-tuition Kaiser Permanente Scholarship to attend JABSOM, allowing him to focus on academics, research and service. Quan has also combined his passion for judo with research, examining concussion rates in youth judo to help make the sport safer.
“This is the community I grew up in,” Quan said. “I want to give back to what brought me up, to leave a place better than I found it.”
Like Quan, many JABSOM scholarship students are inspired by the chance to serve Hawaiʻi through their future medical careers.
“I’m so passionate about serving the communities that grew me and that represent me, and so it’s actually a huge blessing to be able to know that I’ll be able to come back and serve in the community,” said JABSOM student Madison Balish.
