Texas Tech Health El Paso and The University of Texas at El Paso have announced the second cohort for MedFuture, a joint initiative that creates pathways for qualified students to be admitted right out of high school to attend college and medical school in El Paso. Adolpho and Debbie Telles announced a $50,000 gift for the Adolpho R. and Deborah L. Telles Family Scholarship at the event, which will be matched by the KPMG Foundation to double its impact to $100,000. Adolpho Telles, a retired partner of accounting firm KPMG, benefits from the foundation’s matching gift program. The Telles Family scholarships will be awarded to both current medical students and MedFuture students during their time at the Foster School of Medicine to continue the mission of growing future healthcare leaders. The MedFuture partnership annually recognizes five accomplished high school seniors with an interest in science and medicine, along with a strong commitment to serving the Borderplex region upon graduating. Selected students are admitted to UTEP and, as program participants, receive conditional acceptance to Texas Tech Health El Paso’s Foster School of Medicine upon completing their undergraduate degree at UTEP.
“We’re thrilled to continue our partnership with UTEP as we welcome our new, second cohort,” said Richard Lange, M.D., M.B.A., president of Texas Tech Health El Paso and dean of the Foster School of Medicine. “This initiative provides an educational pathway for talented and highly competitive local students aspiring to attend medical school and serve patients in their hometown. MedFuture will help us address the physician shortage in our Borderplex while tackling the health care challenges faced by our residents.”
“Our first group of MedFuture students is well on their way towards earning a degree and I’m proud to be welcoming our second group,” said Heather Wilson, Ph.D., president of UTEP. “With the rigorous education and research opportunities available to them at UTEP and the great experience they’ll get at the Foster School of Medicine, I know they will become unstoppable doctors changing health care in our community.”
