2020-2021 A.T. Still Osteopathic Medicine Scholarship
Growing up in a small rural town in the mountains of San Diego County, my childhood was shaped by service projects and small-town traditions. Not until my teenage years did I truly understand what it meant to live in a medically underserved area.
When I was 16 years old my father went into an irregular heart rhythm and it took us 30 minutes to drive to the nearest hospital. As I bore witness to the struggles associated with rural and underserved health, my passion for serving communities like mine only grew. This smalltown upbringing formed the foundation behind my desire to practice primary care medicine in an underserved area, serving community members who need compassionate
providers advocating for their health.
During my time at PNWU, I have been able to live out my personal mission of providing rural, underserved primary care medicine to communities in need. I truly believe that the academic, volunteer, and leadership experiences I have gained here at PNWU, coupled with my experiences throughout my upbringing, will enable me to provide compassionate, high-quality care to rural populations and those in need every day as a future family practice physician.
I will always carry with me my small-town life experiences and the generosity, empathy, and strong work ethic that accompanies those experiences. Those foundational values will enable me to compassionately care for my future patients and improve their quality of life. Thank you to everyone who has supported me through this journey!
With much gratitude,
Ellen Douglass, OMS
Class of 2021