Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students - Only 5% of matriculating U.S. medical students are low-income. Like City University of New York School of Medicine (CSoM; est, 2016), low-income disadvantaged students are more likely to become primary care physicians (PCPs), care for medically vulnerable people (MVP) and practice in rural, Tribal or medically vulnerable communities (MVC). They overcome tremendous hurdles to obtain a M.D. degree: academic, financial, housing and food insecurity. CSoM is the first public med school established in NYC since 1865, NYC's only community-based med school and the only public in Manhattan. CSoM is in West Central Harlem; a Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA), where ~30% of Harlemites live below the FPL and where life expectancy decreases 14-18 yrs within a few blocks of Upper East Side-Manhattan. Compared to its 6 NYC peers, CSoM has significantly lower tuition, endowment and government funding. It is highly tuition dependent and graduates have high medical education debt compared to peers. Yet CSoM students are 2.5 times more likely than NY peers to enter primary care (51.5%) and serve in HPSAs (38.4%). CSoM is a Liaison Committee for Medical Education accredited med school (LCME; 2023) and CUNY's 26th college (2025). The novel 7-year BS/MD program integrates a 3-year accelerated BS program with a 4-year M.D. program. CSoM originated as the Sophie Davis School (est. 1973) with a mission to expand access to medical education for talented disadvantaged youth with a desire to practice primary care in MVC. From 2022-25 it received 3,566 completed applications. Most (98%) CSoM students are New Yorkers (73% greater metro NYC), live at home, commute 1-1.5 hrs each way and work during medical school (higher than the nation). The 2026 residency match rate exceeded the national average (98% vs. 94%). The 2026 graduates committed to caring for underserved MVP: 64% entered primary care, 70% stayed in NYS (50% in NYC). They are bi/multi-lingual (80%;17 different languages), 62% are first-generation Americans (both parents born abroad), 50% are the first in their family born in the U.S. and 18% are first-generation college students (no parent had a bachelor's degree). Due to CSoM's highly successful urban-focused model, this proposal seeks to expand the primary care, physician, and leadership pipeline by strengthening the financial and leadership skills of disadvantaged CSoM students committed to primary care in HPSAs. The $650,000 annual SDS award ($3,250,000 for 5-yrs) will support disadvantaged CSoM students. We request SDS Funding Priorities to provide annual $21,666 tuition award to 30 disadvantaged CSoM students to cover 52% of tuition and fees. They are future PCPs committed to serving MVP in HPSAs. This proposal has 3-project objectives: 1) increase enrollment and retention of full-time students from disadvantaged backgrounds, 2) increase the number of students participating in primary care and 3) increase the number of graduates working in MVC. It has 4-measurable goals and outcomes: 1) increase, in 5-years, the admission of disadvantaged students into CSoM, 2) improve STEP 1 pass rates, retention rates, and 4-year on-time graduation rates of disadvantaged students in 5-years at CSoM, 3) increase from 51.5% to 60% in 5-years the number of disadvantaged students who pursue careers in primary care medicine to improve the health of underserved populations and address primary care physician shortages and 4) increase from 38% to 45% in 5-years the number of disadvantaged CSoM students who work in MVC.
