Zeynoire Anderson, a third-year medical student at the Wayne State University School of Medicine, has been named one of only 15 ElevateMeD Scholars for 2023.
Each Scholar receives a $16,500 tuition-based scholarship. ElevateMeD, now in its fourth year, has awarded more than $1,212,000 in scholarships.
“It is a great honor to be selected as an ElevateMeD Scholar,” Anderson said. “This not only relieves some financial burden but also allows me to join a cohort that shares the goal of diversifying medicine. This program will allow me to network and grow my leadership skills so that I can become a source of inspiration for my community and other students. To be chosen from a pool of well-qualified applicants is also an amazing feeling. Medical school is quite a humbling experience, so this feels like validation for all my hard work and dedication.”
The 26-year-old Lansing native plans to become a dermatologist.
ElevateMeD is a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships, mentorship, leadership training and financial management education to future physicians from African-American, Latino and Native American backgrounds. The Scholars program seeks to increase physician workforce diversity and improve cultural competence among physicians to reduce health disparities.
Anderson said she was drawn to medicine because of a lack of diversity. “When I was a child, my mother was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. Throughout her diagnostic journey we saw countless physicians, none of which resembled us or our culture. So I always felt like there was a gap or a disconnect between us and my mother's medical team. This inspired me to pursue a career in medicine and work toward mending that gap between the Black community and medicine.”
She added that she is “very thankful for Dr. Leah Robinson for nominating me and cheering me on. It is nice to have someone in your corner and clapping for you when you think no one is watching. I am grateful and excited for the new support and mentorship to come with this opportunity.”