Two University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee alumni, Ciara Ayala and Alex Martinez, are part of the inaugural cohort of the Health Equity Scholars Program at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW).
This initiative aims to tackle the significant health disparities affecting Milwaukee’s marginalized communities. The program provides full tuition, housing stipends, psycho-social support, and specialized training for its scholars.
Ayala and Martinez, both 2020 graduates, will work alongside healthcare professionals in the Thrive on King building, a new community resource hub in Milwaukee’s Bronzeville neighborhood. This facility includes an early childhood center, job resource center, and communal art space, with MCW as one of its anchor tenants. The scholars will live and work in this building, fostering community engagement.
Devarati Syam, the program manager, emphasized the importance of addressing social determinants of health such as income, housing, and education. “When we say ‘health disparities,’ we are referring to issues that are outside the realm of healthcare, such as income, housing, etc. We call them the social determinants of health,” Syam explained. The program has been developed over the past two years with input from community members, faculty, staff, and medical students.
The Health Equity Scholars Program is a strategic effort by MCW to prepare a new generation of physicians dedicated to improving health outcomes in Milwaukee.
See: “UWM alums hope to tackle Milwaukee health disparities through Health Equity Scholars Program” (July 2, 2024)