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Rural physicians program taps pair of Mississippi College students for medical school scholarships

MRPSP scholars Ellie Slay and Owen Cox have committed to providing at least four years of clinical service in a rural Mississippi setting.

Two Mississippi College students with hearts for community service have been accepted into the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program.

Owen Cox of Rienzi, who is seeking a chemistry medical science degree, and Ellie Slay of Brookhaven, who is working towards a biology medical science degree, have each been awarded the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship. Both are juniors at Mississippi College.

The Mississippi Rural Physician Scholarship Program 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 completing their residencies, MRPSP scholars must provide four years of service in clinic-based practice in an approved Mississippi community of 15,000 people or fewer located more than 20 miles from a medically served area.

A car accident during his senior year of high school led Cox to pursue a medical degree.

“It made me appreciate the medical field,” he said. “Since I was in elementary school, my desire and fascination with science has driven me towards understanding the intricacies of the human body.

“I’ve always loved knowing the whys and hows of everything. Studying medicine provides insight to so many of those questions.”

The MRPSP scholarship will help him become a medical teacher, psychiatrist, or head of a fellowship program one day.

“This (scholarship) will drive me to be a more empathetic and understanding person, to not just treat someone as a patient, but to reassure them that they are a person who is cared for,” he said.

Competing as an athlete in high school solidified Slay’s goal of becoming a physician.

“While I loved playing sports, I really loved the science behind it,” she said. “It fascinated me how our bodies can adapt to stress and recover from injury.

“I have seen how important quality healthcare is to rural areas. I treasure the sense of community and family in a small town.”

She said Mississippi College is preparing her to pursue her goal of practicing medicine.

“I’ve been challenged, supported, and tested here,” Slay said. “My professors have poured into my education each year, and my fellow classmates have supported me throughout my undergraduate career.”

Upon completion of all medical school admissions requirements, MRPSP participants can use the scholarship to attend the School of Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson or the William Carey College of Osteopathic Medicine in Hattiesburg.

After completing 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 in psychiatry.

Created in 2007, the MRPSP was formed to increase the number of physicians serving the healthcare needs of Mississippians in rural areas. For more information about the program, or email Steven Carter, MRPSP associate director, at jscarter@umc.edu.