2009 PISACANO SCHOLARS

The Pisacano Leadership Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the American Board of Family Medicine (ABFM), recently selected its 2009 Pisacano Scholars. These 5 medical students follow in the footsteps of 71 scholar alumni who are practicing physicians and 15 current scholars who are enrolled in family medicine residency programs across the country. The Pisacano Leadership Foundation was created in 1990 by the ABFM in tribute to its founder and first executive director, Nicholas J. Pisacano, MD (1924–1990). Each Pisacano Scholar has demonstrated the highest level of leadership, academic achievement, communication skills, community service, and character and integrity.

Bethany Enoch, a 2009 Pisacano Scholar, is a 4th-year medical student at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. She graduated summa cum laude from MidAmerica Nazarene University with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and Music Performance. As an undergraduate, Bethany received a number of honors and awards, including the President’s Award, a half-tuition scholarship based on ACT scores.

As a medical student, Bethany has continued to receive numerous awards and has achieved significant leadership positions. At Kansas, she served as the president of the Family Medicine Interest Group and the vice president of the Kansas Alpha Omega Alpha chapter. Bethany also served as a student representative to the Kansas Academy of Family Physicians Board of Directors, and at the national level was elected as the student chair of the American Academy of Family Physicians’ National Conference of the Family Medicine Residents and Students.

After moving to Kenya at the age of 10 with her parents who became missionaries, and witnessing the disadvantages that so much of the world endures, Bethany decided in 6th grade that she wanted to become a doctor. At a very young age, she served children of AIDS victims who were living in orphanages and delivered food and blankets to victims of tribal violence near her school. Bethany is confident that her experience as a child is what led her to medical school. As a doctor, Bethany plans to provide full-spectrum care from delivering babies to providing end-of-life care. She plans to be active in her community and work for her patients by helping to implement healthy measures in the community.

Pamela Ferry, a 2009 Pisacano Scholar, is a 4th-year medical student at Baylor College of Medicine. A National Merit Scholar, she graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology. She also received a Master of Health Science with a major in International Health from Johns Hopkins University. As a Liberty Hyde Bailey fellow at Cornell University, Pamela completed doctoral coursework for her PhD before deciding to pursue her medical degree.

From 1992–1996, Pamela served as a missionary with the Mennonite Central Committee in Yapacani, Bolivia working as a regional coordinator and health educator. After returning from Bolivia, Pamela joined Baylor, where she is currently the assistant director for the Center for Educational Outreach and assistant professor of Allied Health Sciences. Pamela was instrumental in the development of the Texas Joint Admission Medical Program (JAMP), which is now a well established statewide program available to economically disadvantaged students.

During a brief hiatus from Baylor, Pamela spent 2 years directing a community-based breast cancer project for uninsured women. In addition, for the last 10 years Pamela has served as a team leader on annual mission trips to Montero, Bolivia. She organizes, leads, and translates for a team of medical professionals and volunteers who provide care to indigent families and a girls’ orphanage. Most recently, Pamela received the DeBakey Scholar award from Baylor, which is awarded each year to a 4th-year medical student in honor of Dr. Michael E. DeBakey.

Pamela’s professional goals include a commitment to advocacy and involvement in research on under-served care, international medical and public health work, and a PCMH-model medical practice in an underserved population.

Anthony Lim, a 2009 Pisacano Scholar, is a 4th-year medical student at Boston University School of Medicine (BU). He graduated Phi Beta Kappa and with distinction from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Arts in Human Biology. After graduation, he spent a year in Taiwan and China, fulfilling a lifelong dream to learn Mandarin. Upon returning to the United States, Anthony gained a year of valuable business experience working at a management consulting firm. He subsequently attended Harvard Law School, graduating cum laude.

Anthony was the recipient of an AmeriCorps educational award for 1 year of public service within an underserved community. During this time, he taught math at a tuition-free middle school for children from economically disadvantaged families. Prior to attending medical school, Anthony spent a year as a clinical research assistant at the Joslin Diabetes Center, working on a nationwide NIH study examining treatment options for type-2 diabetes in adolescents.

As a medical student at BU, Anthony has continued his commitment to service. As an Albert Schweitzer Fellow, he organized and led weekly therapeutic sessions for homeless individuals recovering from illness, and he co-organized and moderated a homeless symposium. Anthony also co-founded and co-led BU’s Christian Medical and Dental Association (CMDA). He was recently inducted into the Gold Humanism and Honor Society, which honors medical students for “demonstrating excellence in clinical care, leadership, compassion, and dedication to service.”

As a family physician, Anthony looks forward to a career that combines patient care, clinical teaching, and working with the underserved. He intends to work relentlessly at the individual, community, and policy-wide level toward building healthier communities.

Steven Lin, a 2009 Pisacano Scholar, is a 4th-year medical student at Stanford School of Medicine. He graduated summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Duke University with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. His work on eliminating health inequities nationally made him the American Red Cross “Person of the Year” at Duke, where he was also elected chapter president. He received 3 major fellowships and was named a national semifinalist for the Rhodes Scholarship.

At Stanford, Steven joined the Asian Liver Center, the first non-profit organization in the country that addresses the disproportionate burden of hepatitis B and liver cancer in Asians. While spearheading outreach and educational projects both domestically and internationally in China, he conducted one of the largest epidemiological studies of hepatitis B in Asian Americans, which won honors from the American College of Preventive Medicine and became a landmark paper in Hepatology. He was also a key contributor to the Asian Liver Center’s “Physician’s Guide to Hepatitis B” – an evidence-based practice guideline funded by the CDC. Working with the Department of Public Health and the California State Assembly, Steven helped create public and provider awareness about the importance of routine hepatitis B testing and vaccination, and ensure access to treatment for chronically infected individuals.

He received the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship to start a free clinic for underserved Asians at risk for hepatitis B and liver cancer. His clinic attracted national media attention and was inducted into the National Task Force on Hepatitis B. In recognition of his work, Steven was awarded the American Academy of Family Physicians’ Student Community Outreach Award.

Karl Metzger, a 2009 Pisacano Scholar, is a 4th-year medical student at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. He graduated from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering. While attending night school to obtain his undergraduate degree, Karl also began his 20-year career in the engineering field. During this time, he also joined the US Marine Corps and continued to serve 6 years in the reserves. He was awarded the Meritorious Mast for Leadership for outstanding leadership as a Programming Team Leader.

Karl’s management experience in his engineering career subsequently led to a new career as the business manager of large health club. As a medical student, Karl has continued his leadership and academic excellence. During his first 2 years of medical school, he participated in the Kansas University Medical Center International Outreach’s (KUMCIO) medical mission trip to Belize. Karl also served as the project director for the KUMC Community Health Project, which places 2nd-year medical students in community safety net clinics. He co-managed the placements of the students and monitored their experiences with the community organizations.

After residency, Karl envisions his future career in an integrated practice that offers a variety of services in both conventional and complementary medicine as well as small groups, social/community support, psychiatry, counseling, exercise, and nutrition. He also plans to volunteer for the underserved both nationally and internationally.

• © 2009 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.