Medical student Oumou Fofana receives prestigious scholarships from two national programs

Oumou Fofana, a medical student at the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, received scholarships from the National Health Service Corps and the Johnson & Johnson/National Medical Fellowships Future Leaders program.

The highly competitive National Health Service Corps (NHSC) awards scholarships to students pursuing primary care health professions. Only about 10% of the more than 1,800 applicants receive scholarships.

“I always knew that I wanted to pursue a career in primary care, therefore I am truly humbled to be an NHSC recipient and excited to work with this organization,” said Fofana.

A second-year medical student, Fofana is pursuing a profession in primary care, specifically as a gynecologist, and hopes to play a role in reducing health care disparities in underserved communities.

The Johnson & Johnson/National Medical Fellowships two-year service learning program is designed to expose high-performing underrepresented medical students with analytical skills that will prepare them to become future clinician and research leaders with a commitment to address health disparities that disproportionately affect communities of color.

In addition, the program exposes students to various functions within the pharmaceutical, medical devices and health care industries where physicians play key roles.

“I am looking forward to learning more about how health disparities affect marginalized communities,” said Fofana. “I am also excited for the mentorship I will receive and to learn more about research within the pharmaceutical industry.”

Fofana earned her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry, minor in French and graduated with Latin honors from The Ohio State University.