Physician, Dental Scholarship Programs Let MC Students, Graduates Impact Healthcare in Rural Areas

Growing up in Lexington, Breann Bell observed how her father, the late Dr. Bonny Bell, would care for the citizens of Holmes County through the practice of dentistry. That insight sparked her desire to leave a lasting impact on her community by providing exceptional dental service to those most in need.

While learning about epidemiology in high school, Gabby Winters became fascinated with the way healthcare professionals throughout history have dealt with sickness control and prevention. Her passion for providing care to those in need includes joining other physicians and scientists to improve the state’s healthcare system.

Bell and Winters are among five current or former Mississippi College students with hearts for community service who have been accepted into the Mississippi Rural Physicians or Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Programs.

Winters, a junior biology and chemistry medical sciences major from Kosciusko, and Jacob Garteiser, a Biloxi resident, have been selected to participate in the undergraduate portion of the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program. Bell, a junior biology major, has been chosen to take part in the undergraduate portion of the Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program.

Meanwhile, MC graduates and first-year medical students Lauren Nicole Sumrall of Hattiesburg and Kaitlin Williams of Hernando have each been awarded the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship.

The Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program and the Mississippi Rural Dentists Scholarship Program were formed to increase the number of physicians and dentists serving the healthcare needs of Mississippians in rural areas.

Created in 2007, the MRPSP provides a means for rural Mississippi students to earn a seat in medical school, receive mentoring during the medical school application process, earn a $140,000 medical school scholarship in return for four years of service, and learn the art of healing from practicing rural physicians.

The MRPSP identifies college sophomores and juniors who demonstrate the necessary commitment and academic achievement to become competent, well-trained rural primary care physicians in Mississippi. The program offers undergraduate academic enrichment and a clinical experience in a rural setting.

Upon completion of all medical school admissions requirements, participants can use the scholarship at the UMMC School of Medicine or the William Carey College of Osteopathic Medicine. During medical school, each MRPSP scholar may receive $35,000 per year based on available funding.

Upon completion of medical school, MRPSP scholars must enter a residency program in one of five primary care specialties: family medicine, general internal medicine, pediatrics, medicine-pediatrics, or obstetrics/gynecology. A select number of spots are available for those interested in psychiatry.

The MRPSP scholar must provide four years of service in a clinic-based practice in an approved Mississippi community of 15,000 people or fewer located more than 20 miles from a medically served area. Winters considers that requirement to be an honor.

“Participating in the undergraduate portion of the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program is a great privilege,” Winters said. “Not only does it communicate to me that there are people who believe in my ability to become a great doctor, but it is amazing to have such a network of support. Being surrounded by like-minded students on the same path as me and connecting with current medical students and physicians who were once where we were as undergraduate students is so enriching.

“We also have the opportunity to get hands-on experience during our medical encounters. I have already learned so much this summer from being in the program and am excited for the years to come.”

She credits Mississippi College for helping position her for future success in medical training.

“Mississippi College provides me with the classes I need to prepare for medical school,” she said. “I have great mentors and professors available to me who are well-versed in what it takes to get into medical school. The sense of community fostered within the Science Department is robust and filled with people who challenge me to grow and are also growing alongside me.”

Winters said her greatest challenge will be to learn what it means to be a physician in a rural area.

“Being a physician is so much more than just the hope of helping people,” she said. “There are many steps and barriers to be overcome in providing excellent care to patients. In this program, our mentors don’t shy away from challenging us to remain mindful of the reasons we chose this path and to pursue our goals.”

After graduating from MC, Winters plans to attend the UMMC School of Medicine and train in family medicine, internal medicine, or pediatrics.

“I have no clue where I will practice in Mississippi, but I am open to wherever the Lord leads me.”

Similar to the MRPSP, the MRDSP identifies college sophomores and juniors who demonstrate the necessary commitment and academic achievement to become competent, well-trained rural dentists in Mississippi. Created in 2013, the program offers undergraduate academic enrichment and a clinical experience in a rural setting.

Upon completion of all dental school admissions requirements, the student can use the scholarship at the UMMC School of Dentistry. During dental school, each MRDSP scholar may receive $35,000 per year based on available funding.

The MRDSP scholar must provide four years of service in a practice in an approved Mississippi community of 10,000 or fewer people more than 20 miles from a medically served area.

As a longtime resident of a rural Mississippi town, Bell understands how important timely and appropriate health care is to a small community.

“I have grown up in a rural area my whole life,” she said. “This allowed me to see better and understand the desperate need for healthcare in these areas of the state. Serving a rural area would allow me to give back to an area that is so special to me personally and has repeatedly served me well over the years.”

She said MC has played a significant role in guiding her toward this service opportunity.

“Mississippi College has given me the support and opportunities to pursue this passion by instilling the importance of leadership, community, service, and dedication in each platform I have had an opportunity to be a part of,” she said. “This program will challenge me to stay committed to my academic career and further my knowledge of the needs and challenges faced in rural Mississippi.

“Staying knowledgeable about these resources will allow me to provide more intentional care.”

Bell’s long-term goal is to return to her hometown and provide the same level of exceptional care to residents in Lexington that her father demonstrated years ago.

“I hope to give back to the community that has shaped me into who I am,” she said. “Ultimately, the Lord holds my future, and I can rest that He holds the unknown in His hands.”

Sumrall and Williams each received the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship at the annual scholarship ceremony in Jackson for their medical training at UMMC. Dr. Lucius Lampton, MRPSP Commission member emeritus, presented the scholarships.

Located at UMMC, the programs use various outreach, mentoring, and training methods to identify, support, educate, and deploy new generations of healthcare workers for Mississippi’s underserved populations. Legislative support of the MRPSP has translated to 62 medical students receiving a total of $2,170,000 to support their education in fall 2023; legislative support of MRDSP has translated to 12 dental students receiving a total of $420,000 to support their education in fall 2023.

For more information about either program, click here or email Steven Carter, MRPSP associate director, at jscarter@umc.edu.