The Oxley endowment fund was established to honor the memory of the first African American to graduate from UC’s College of Medicine, and to further grow the underrepresented population of African American students at the College of Medicine.

Established in 2016 through a combination of private philanthropy, corporate matching gifts, and matching funds from the Hagin’s Family Matching Gift Program, the Daktari Endowment provides scholarships to students in the COM who demonstrate financial need, come from a diverse background, exhibit strong potential for academic excellence, and express an interest in serving vulnerable populations in an underserved community.

Through the generous support of Dr. and Mrs. Crawford, the Crawford Endowment was created to provide scholarships for students from a diverse background that demonstrate financial need. This scholarship is currently awarded to an incoming, first year medical student and guaranteed for four years.

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion is honored to partner with the Cincinnati Medical Association to support our medical students. The Cincinnati Medical Association (CMA) Scholarship Fund is an endowed fund that awards an annual scholarship to medical students who demonstrate financial need, diverse background, and strong potential for academic excellence.

Over the years, the CMA made several very special gifts to support the Lucy Oxley, MD African American Medical Student Scholarship, the Cincinnati Medical Association Scholarship, and an Under-Represented Minority Residency Recruitment Program.

Established in October 2020 by Alvin H. Crawford, MD and Mrs. Alva Jean Crawford to support the College's Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (Office) and its efforts to improve recruitment and retention rates for underrepresented medical students, with a specific emphasis in reducing the downward trend of Black males within medicine. The fund directly supports the organization Black Men in Medicine, a mentoring program designed to mentor Black males in medical school. Black Men in Medicine Cincinnati (BMIMC), in its infancy, attempts to pair incoming medical students with older medical students and those who are closer to completing their medical degree with residents and attending physicians. The thinking is that camaraderie, networking, and a defined support system might ease isolation and lead to a boost in numbers of Black male physicians.

Established in 2017 through the generosity of Dr. and Mrs. Henderson, the Henderson Endowment provides scholarships for students with diverse backgrounds that also come from underprivileged areas in greater Cincinnati. These students must also express an interest in returning to serve vulnerable populations and have a record of volunteerism and experience working with vulnerable populations. The scholarship is currently awarded to two students annually.

Established in April 2020, this fund provides scholarship support to a student(s) in the College every four years. Recipient(s) must have demonstrated financial need and preference shall be given to a recipient(s) with a diverse background. Additionally, preference shall be given to a student(s) that have demonstrated participation in extra-curricular activities in school, the community, and job-related leadership activities and are able to articulate how medical education will enable them to make a positive impact on any community in which they desire to serve and/or a preference in emergency medicine.

Established in April 202, this fund provides annual scholarship support to a student(s) in the College of Nursing. Recipient(s) must have a demonstrated financial need. Additionally, preference shall be given to a student(s) that have demonstrated participation in extra-curricular activities in school, the community, and job-related leadership activities and are able to articulate how nursing education will enable them to make a positive impact on any community in which they have a desire to serve. A preference shall also be given to students that have an interest in research and/or emergency and trauma nursing.

Thanks to the financial support of the Cincinnati Medical Association, in 2016 the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at the College of Medicine established a program intended to help recruit underrepresented minority medical students who are applying to UC residency programs to train and eventually practice in Cincinnati. The goal of this program is to increase the number of up-and-coming URM physicians who will help fill the current and projected void of care in underrepresented communities.

The program addresses this challenge by hosting 12 URM 4th-year medical students for a Visiting Clerkship within the various UC COM residency programs in Program Year 1; invite 70 resident applicants (expecting 50 to accept the invitation) to a Second Look event, and develop a Resident Connect Group that will connect the URM residents at UC and Children’s in a social and professional development and mentorship community.

Provides annual scholarship support to an under-represented student(s) enrolled in the College. Preference shall be given to a student(s) from a diverse background, strong academic standing, and an interest in addressing health disparities.

Contact at University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and UC Health

Dolores Dodson, Associate Director of Development, COM & UC Health