Required

SOUTHFIELD, MI — June 7, 2016 — Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. is pleased to announce Ms. Rachel Lewis of Duluth, Georgia as the recipient of the law firm’s 2016 Medical School Diversity Scholarship.

The Medical School Diversity Scholarship, established in 2013, is part of the law firm’s initiative to recognize medical school students who do outstanding work to promote ethnic diversity in their community.

Rachel, in her second year of medical school at the Georgia campus of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, intends to pursue a career as an ophthalmologist.

“I am so thankful to Buckfire & Buckfire for recognizing and promoting diversity within the medical field,” said Rachel. “Maintaining a diverse physician labor force is a critical step to improving patient care in underserved areas, and I am so grateful to have the support from Buckfire & Buckfire.”

Rachel’s passion lies with mentoring young minority students. She currently serves as a student ambassador on campus, where she has the privilege of bringing young students to campus where they participate in activities and discussions about science. Additionally, Rachel volunteers her free time at a local elementary school, where she also mentors students.

Rachel is currently working to create a formal minority mentor program at osteopathic medical schools. She has already written an essay to the American Osteopathic Association outlining her recommendation. The ultimate goal of the program is to increase minority enrollment in medical school by establishing on-campus medical student mentors and professional physician sponsors to support minority applicants and students.

As a future ophthalmologist, Rachel will focus on helping people with inherited eye diseases. More specifically, she wishes to help those who suffer from glaucoma, a disease that affects many people, including her mother, in her home country of Ghana. Rachel has already taken steps toward this goal, as she has accepted a position as a research intern in the Ophthalmic Molecular Genetics Section of the National Eye Institute.

Every year, the Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. Medical Diversity Scholarship awards one qualified and deserving student $2,000 to be used toward his or her continued education in medical school. The scholarship is available to all medical school students in the United States who work hard to promote ethnic diversity in their communities.

Since 1969, Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C. has represented victims of injuries and medical malpractice. The firm offers multiple scholarships each year to assist students who demonstrate a commitment to academic excellence. For more information about the Buckfire Scholarships, please contact Matt McDaniel at Matt@buckfirelaw.com.