Medical Students Receive Endowed Scholarships
Each academic year, an average of 240 medical students in their second and third year of medical school rotate through the required internal medicine clerkship. The following scholarship recipients are graduating seniors who have chosen a career in internal medicine and excelled in the clerkship and other internal medicine electives.
Grant Tucker
Herbert S. Salomon, M.D., Class of 1967, Memorial Scholarship Award
Grant Tucker devoted his extracurricular time to productive research on ventilation in cardiogenic shock and oncologic education, work that led to several posters and publications. He demonstrated leadership as chair of an Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) committee developing a program to support students transitioning from pre-clerkship to clerkships. He also launched a Dallas Independed School District initiative that provides sports physical programs to students across the district. In addition, he mentored students preparing for Step 1 and volunteered in the free clinics.
"Grant's efforts embody the qualities of leadership, professionalism, maturity, self-motivation, commitment to service, likelihood to go above and beyond, and altruism," said Dr. Stephanie Brinker, an Associate Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Internal Medicine Clerkship Co-Director.
As he prepares for residency, he is focused on mastering procedural skills and expanding his research experience into study design. He plans to pursue a career as an academic intensivist.
The Herbert S. Salomon, M.D., Class of 1967, Memorial Scholarship Award recognizes a UT Southwestern medical student who demonstrates excellence in internal medicine. It is named after Dr. Herbert Salomon, who earned his medical degree from UT Southwestern in 1967 and completed a partial residency in cardiology at Parkland Hospital. He died of a rare form of cancer on February 14, 1971, at the age of 30.
Tanvi Ingle, Priya Sarlashkar, and Yukta Sunkara
Hemphill-Gojer Award in Internal Medicine
Tanvi Ingle dedicated her extracurricular time to public health and clinical informatics research, including community-driven initiatives to improve hypertension management and outcomes in underserved areas of Dallas. She worked to expand patient access to care through volunteer work in clinic and quality improvement studies, and she also volunteered in culinary medicine.
"These activities were recogized by her selection into Senior AOA Honor Society membership," said Dr. Eduado Mulanovich, an Assistant Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Co-Director of the Ambulatory Clerkship. "They demonstrate her leadership, compassion, self motivation, commitment to service, and likelihood to go above and beyond, and altruism."
In residency, she hopes to broaden her clinical experience with diverse patient populations and deepen her involvement in community health research. She envisions a career in academic medicine that integrates patient care, research, and potential subspecialty training.
Priya Sarlashkar dedicated her extracurricular time to community service through student‑run free clinics and to leading the Patient Navigator program.
"Priya has engaged in research focused on improving patient education and combating health misinformation, which reflects her leadership, altruism, scientific curiosity, and dedication to health equity," said Dr. Rachel Bonnema, a Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Associate Vice Chair for Faculty Development.
As she enters residency, Sarlashkar is committed to strengthening her clinical reasoning in the care of complex patients and developing as an educator. She envisions a career as a hospitalist, a role that will allow her to coordinate care, advocate for patients, and incorporate scholarship or quality improvement initiatives.
Yukta Sunkara dedicated her extracurricular time to community service through a series of impactful initiatives. As an Albert Schweitzer Fellow, she designed and implemented a curriculum to help parents in an underserved South Dallas community understand childhood development milestones and strategies for fostering healthy growth. In partnership with Vogel Alcove, she delivered educational sessions for families and staff and volunteered in classrooms, gaining meaningful insight into children’s developmental needs. Her leadership also extends to co‑founding and serving as president of the UTSW Best Buddies organization, which builds relationships between UTSW students and individuals with special needs.
"Yukta truly embodies leadership, compassion, and altruism, qualities further recognized through her induction into the Gold Humanism Honor Society," said Dr. Kehinde Odedosu, an Associate Professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine and Assistant Dean for Student Affairs. "Her service commitment has also been honored with the Gold‑level Presidential Volunteer Service Award, while her academic excellence is reflected in her election to Alpha Omega Alpha."
In addition to her community work, she has tutored first‑year students in basic sciences and second‑year students in internal medicine system blocks. As she prepares for residency, she is interested in further developing her teaching and leadership skills in pursuit of a career in academic medicine, with potential focus areas in cardiology, digestive and liver diseases, or pulmonary and critical care.
About the award:
The Hemphill-Gojer Award in Internal Medicine, presented to one or more top medical students in Internal Medicine, was established by Ross H. and Anne Seymour Hemphill in honor of their son and daughter-in-law, Dr. and Mrs. Seymore Hemphill; their daughter and son-in-law, Dr. and Mrs. Bernard Gojer; and Anne Hemphill’s parents, E. Clyde and Florine Allen Seymour. Dr. Hemphill and Dr. Gojer are both UTSW Medical School alumni.
Corbin Foster, Felipe Gonzalez Gutierrez, Marium Khan, and Margaret Vo
Richard Mays Smith Award
Corbin Foster devoted his extracurricular time to leadership, mentorship, teaching, health policy, and research, all driven by a commitment to making his school, the health care system, and his community more equitable. At UT Southwestern, he served in student government as a Colleges Senator, worked as a microanatomy tutor and teaching assistant, and represented his classmates as a student liaison to the Admissions Committee. He is a leader in the campus chapter of the Student National Medical Association, serving as the Minority Association of Pre‑Medical Students liaison and mentoring high school students pursuing medical careers through the Oarsman Program.
"Corbin completed the graduate Archer Fellowship in Washington, D.C., where he explored health care policy and the public‑health implications of national events," said Dr. Brinker. "His internship culminated in a policy proposal to expand broadband access in rural areas to reduce health care disparities exacerbated by increased reliance on telehealth and remote monitoring."
He also conducted research in cardiology on clinical outcomes in advanced heart failure.
"Guided by personal experience, he builds genuine, trusting relationships with patients through superb clinical communication and humanism," Dr. Brinker added. "He truly elevates both patient care and the clinical learning environment."
As he prepares for residency, he is focused on strengthening his clinical and research skills and hopes to continue engaging in health care policy. He is also eager to grow as an educator. He currently envisions a career in cardiology, with plans to build capacity for caring for a higher patient volume as he advances in training.
Felipe Gonzalez Gutierrez dedicated his extracurricular time to research and to leading a variety of volunteer initiatives, including the community organization United Rocks, which helps children with special needs connect through rock climbing.
"His multiple hours of service earned him a President's Volunteer Service Award," said Dr. Reeni Abraham, a Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Associate Vice Chair for Undergraduate Medical Education. "These activities embody the qualities of leadership, compassion, and a willingness to go above and beyond."
Born in Mexico, Gonzalez Gutierrez was inspired to pursue medicine by witnessing loved ones navigate chronic and severe health conditions. His early interest in orthopedics, shaped by his background in sports, shifted during his first internal medicine clerkship, which opened the door to a specialty he had not previously considered. As he enters residency, he is interested in exploring procedural fields and currently envisions a career caring for acutely ill patients.
Marium Khan dedicated her extracurricular time to cardiology research and to building stronger clinical supports for underserved populations. Inspired by her own experience caring for her mother during an ICU admission, her research has focused on understanding the psychiatric and cognitive effects of cardiogenic shock with the goal of improving recovery after critical illness. She also served as a leader and clinic manager for a student‑run free clinic, where she secured grant funding to expand the clinic's mission and implemented a new HIV screening program.
"Marium embodies the qualities of grit, professionalism, and compassion necessary to succeed in any residency program," said Dr. Nicole Oakman, an assistant professor in the Division of Hospital Medicine and director of the Internal Medicine Sub‑Internship Course.
As she begins residency, she is interested in broadening her research experience and caring for a diverse patient population. She envisions a career centered on serving the most vulnerable communities.
An elected member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society, Margaret Vo dedicated her extracurricular time to promoting patient comfort, mentoring youth, and advancing health equity education, while also actively engaging in research. These efforts reflect her self‑motivation, willingness to go above and beyond, and commitment to continual growth. Fully hitting her stride in the clinical arena, her trajectory has only ascended throughout medical school.
"Margaret excels at the bedside," Dr. Abraham said. "Her innate curiosity, passion for advocacy and exceptional clinical reasoning are truly beyond her years."
As she enters residency, she is interested in refining her ability to approach complex patients with precision and thoughtfulness. She envisions a career as an academic endocrinologist dedicated to holistic, longitudinal care, with roles in medical education and health equity work.
About the award:
The Richard Mays Smith Award is given annually to one or more graduating medical students who excel academically during clinical rotation and exhibit an interest in and compassion for patients.