Thank You

Thank you for making a difference in the lives of medical students. Our students are brilliant and deserving. They're not afraid to roll up their sleeves and work hard in school. They want to succeed. They want to make a difference. 

Your Giving Impacts Our Students

 "When I was growing up, my mother had healthcare needs that meant we visited The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center a lot. Even at a young age I was impressed with the care my mother received and the compassion everyone, including doctors, nurses, and the staff, showed us.

My family is from southeast Ohio, and we didn’t have a lot of financial resources. My mother’s care team would make sure our appointments were scheduled on the same day to minimize our trips and help us find local hotels if we needed them. That was when I decided to go to medical school, specifically at Ohio State University, and give back to underserved areas like Appalachia.

I’m a recipient of the Goodnough Scholarship, which was founded by Joel Goodnough, a 1979 College of Medicine alum, and his wife Brenda. They created the scholarship to benefit students from Ohio’s Appalachian counties.

This scholarship has been life-changing for me and my family. I’ve been able to fully focus on my coursework, research and volunteering, which has been a tremendous benefit to me.

I’m set to graduate in May 2025, and I’ve already been able to contribute research and practical work supporting underserved Ohio communities. My mentor, Dr. Electra Paskett, and I have looked at interventions to increase rural women’s utilization of breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screenings. I received a Samuel J. Roessler Memorial Scholarship to support this research.

I also was able to serve on the board of Healthy LifeStars, through the College of Medicine, which encourages children to develop healthy easting and exercise habits. I’m now working with the national office of Healthy LifeStars to expand the program in Southeast Ohio. It’s so important to me to give back to my community and to draw attention to kids who deserve opportunities just like the ones I’ve had.

I’m not sure yet where my professional career will take me, but I know for certain that I want to spend it supporting medically marginalized communities, like the one where I grew up. This is why I applied to medical school, to serve those who are underserved."
-Dana