Midland College Primary Care Pathway Program students honored as Outstanding Youth in PhilanthropyNovember 12, 2021

The Permian Basin Association of Fundraising Professionals awarded the Midland College (MC) Primary Care Pathway Program (PCPP) students the Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy Award during the National Philanthropy Day Luncheon on Thursday, November 11, at the Petroleum Club of Midland.

Midland College’s PCPP program consists of an enhanced three-year premed curriculum that includes two years at Midland College and one year at the University of North Texas.  In addition, students participate in healthcare enrichment activities.  Students who successfully complete the program are then eligible to apply to medical school at Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine (TCOM) in Ft. Worth.  The program is a partnership among Midland College, Midland Health, the University of North Texas and TCOM.

An important component of the program includes community service hours.  Since the PCPP’s inception in 2016, participants have completed over 2,000 community service hours, averaging 100 hours per student, and over 1,000 healthcare-related service learning hours.

Students volunteered as tutors to children living at Midland Fair Havens, helped at medical clinics serving the homeless and volunteered at Midland Memorial Hospital in order to alleviate the shortage of senior citizen volunteers during the COVID pandemic.  Other organizations benefitting from their volunteer efforts include the American Diabetes Association, Breaking Bread Kitchen, Bynum School, Casa de Amigos, Community Children’s Clinic, Hispanic Cultural Center of Midland, Keep Midland Beautiful, Midland Rehabilitation Center, Mission Center Adult Day Care Service, Muscular Dystrophy Association, National MS Society, Rays of Hope Children’s Grief Center, Safe Place and Senior Life Midland.

Students performed these service hours while also participating in over 1,500 clinical training hours at Midland Memorial Hospital and maintaining an average GPA of 3.8 at MC and 3.9 at the University of North Texas.

The purpose of the program is to increase the number of physicians practicing primary care in the Midland area and in the state of Texas.

Photo: MC 2nd-year Primary Care Pathway Program students with award.  Left to right:  Shaquila Sarapao, Jordyn Ricks, August Peterson, Michael Mangan, Hena Patel, Marisol Tarin