Belmont's Hill Named One of First Tufts School of Medicine Service Scholars

Belmont High School graduate Elena Hill was recently named a member of the inaugural class of the Tufts University School of Medicine's new Service Scholars Pathway Program. 

In the new program, Hill – who is a first year medical student at Tufts – will train for a career working in medically underserved areas.  She is one of only 10 students selected for the program and will receive specialized training in community medicine during their four years at the school.

This new initiative was created to train selected medical students to work in medically underserved areas and equip them with the tools to help patients and communities overcome barriers to health.

“Through this new program, we are training physicians who will also be leaders with the vision and ability to partner with diverse communities to transform health care,” said Harris Berman, M.D., dean of Tufts University School of Medicine and professor of public health and community medicine. 

Tufts Service Scholars will work with Boston-area communities directly over the course of their medical education at Tufts to develop a complex understanding of the needs, challenges and opportunities facing underserved populations. 

Students will also learn from one-on-one and group mentoring with physicians currently practicing in community health centers and other underserved settings, as well as multiple clinical experiences and a longitudinal project in a medically underserved setting oriented towards community-based research, intervention, or advocacy.

The Service Scholars Pathway Program is funded by gifts from the Bingham Trust and an anonymous donor, with funding supporting curriculum development and student scholarships.