University of Hawaii medical student Carrie Ip, a native of Keaau, was awarded a prestigious, highly competitive National Health Service Corps Scholarship.
University of Hawaii medical student Carrie Ip, a native of Keaau, was awarded a prestigious, highly competitive National Health Service Corps Scholarship.
Ip is one of only 205 U.S. medical students awarded the scholarship, which was sought by 2,275 applicants in 2016. Administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Bureau of Health Workforce, the scholarship pays tuition, fees and other educational costs and provides a living stipend in return for a commitment to work at least two years at an NHSC-approved site in a medically underserved community.
Ip is a 2011 graduate of Waiakea High School and received her undergraduate degree in biology (with minors in chemistry and English) from the University of Hawaii at Hilo. She says she was motivated to study medicine by witnessing how those from different social or economic backgrounds suffer from a lack of routine access to health care.
“Growing up, I have realized how important primary care is from a preventative standpoint,” Ip said. “I would like to have a part in the continuous care of my future patients.
“Many of my family and friends have been affected by the lack of access to health care and resources — not having a primary care physician or having to fly to and from Honolulu or the U.S. mainland to receive adequate care. I believe they deserve better and I would like to give back to a community that I love and call home.”
Ip entered the John A. Burns School of Medicine through the ‘Imi Ho‘ola post-baccalaureate program in 2015-16. The ‘Imi program accepts up to 12 aspiring physicians per year for an intensive immersion in learning the skills necessary to become a successful MD student.
Many of those accepted into the ‘Imi program are from underserved areas or disadvantaged backgrounds. By completing the program – which students universally described as grueling – Ip earned admission into the MD class of 2020, which began its studies in July 2016. She plans to complete her training as a primary care physician and return to her home community on Hawaii Island.