Phoenix nonprofit sponsors first ever full-ride med school scholarship

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — Med school tuition is expensive. The mountain of debt can be a real barrier for people trying to pursue their passion to become a doctor as the industry struggles to overcome serious staffing shortages. One Valley charity is offering a new full-ride four-year scholarship to the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson.

Brothers Dr. Ali and Dr. Tamir Mosharrafa say one of the most rewarding parts of working together in their joint practice, Mosharrafa Plastic Surgery, is being able to generously give back through their charitable foundation, Beauty for Good. “I think giving is something that’s inside all of us,” Ali said. A portion of every procedure goes directly to their nonprofit. “That’s the culture of our practice. It’s something that we’ve all embraced and something that we are now very, very proud of,” he said.

They’re inspired by more than 20 years of helping cancer survivors with reconstructive surgery and troubled by the growing shortage of healthcare providers. The full-ride, four-year scholarship to the University of Arizona College of Medicine is meant for a student whose life has been affected by cancer. “Cancer does have a real impact on real people. It’s not an easy thing to go through. And there’s a tremendous need for good and qualified people to help take care of these patients, so it all lines up,” Tamir said.

Jessica Le duc, financial aid director for the University of Arizona College of Medicine, says this is the first-ever full-ride med school scholarship from donor philanthropy. “A gift of this magnitude is life changing for one very deserving medical student. The national median debt for medical school graduates is about $200,000,” he said.

“That’s a mortgage for most people!” said Ali. Covering tuition and fees for not one but four years will no doubt be life-changing for that student and countless others they will be able to help in years to come. “It eliminates that barrier of opportunity where they can focus on passion and interest versus financial burden and costs,” Le duc said.

“If we can provide help for one person who might not otherwise have been able to go into medicine, who might not have otherwise been able to take care of how many thousands of patients in the course of their medical career, if we can do that, then we really feel like we’ve extended the reach of our practice well beyond these walls,” Tamir said.

You can help support the cause. There are still tickets available for the next Beauty for Good fundraiser. It’s a crawfish boil Saturday, April 29th. There will be food, music, fun and a silent auction. Click here for more information.

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