4 minute read
Scholarship Changes Doctor’s Life
For Dina Tom, MD, one couple’s decision to create an endowment to provide scholarships for students changed her life.
“I grew up the oldest of four children in a rural community in Texas. We lived in a mobile home, and my mother worked multiple jobs to support us,” Dr. Tom explained. “Neither of my parents graduated college, and the idea of going to college was never discussed in my family. A teacher encouraged me to apply to UT Austin, and a school counselor gave me an application for financial aid.”
Although accepted to UT Austin on a provisional basis, she proved herself academically and graduated in four years while struggling with the substantial costs of tuition, books and living expenses. “Throughout college, I worked part time in a work-study job to offset my student loans. The rest of my tuition was made up of need-based grants and several small scholarships,” she said.
Dr. Tom, a pediatrician and associate professor of inpatient pediatrics with the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine at UT Health San Antonio, said the idea of becoming a doctor never occurred to her. “My family didn’t know any doctors, especially any who came from a background like mine,” she said.
However, her resident assistant in her dorm was pre-med, and their friendship plus volunteer activities through a service organization at UT Austin helped Dr. Tom come to the realization that she wanted to be a doctor.
“I attended an informational session at UT where medical schools set up tables. This was the first time I met Dr. David Jones, our former Dean of Admissions. His enthusiasm for UT Health was infectious, and he was gracious enough to correspond with me by email as I was navigating the application process,” Dr. Tom said.
After interviewing at seven medical schools in Texas, she knew UT Health San Antonio was her No. 1 choice. “I have never forgotten the kindness shown by Dr. Jones,” she said.
Halfway through her first year of medical school, she received an email about a scholarship with four requirements: born and raised in Texas, a desire to pursue primary care, firstgeneration medical student, and remaining in Texas to practice medicine. “I realized I fit every requirement so I thought, ‘I’ve applied to a lot of scholarships before; what’s the harm? I probably won’t get it.’ I submitted my application and didn’t hear back.”
After months went by, Dr. Tom assumed someone else more deserving had received the scholarship. She was called to the Dean’s Office to meet with another Dr. Jones – Dr. Le Jones, then Dean of Student Affairs. “I was terrified. I’ve always struggled with imposter syndrome, so I was pretty sure I was being called into the Dean’s Office to be told that my time at UT Health was up, and they realized I was not meant to be here.”
When she arrived, Dr. Jones was holding her essay in his hands. “I will never forget that interaction. It changed my life. He said, ‘You got it.’ Then he asked, ‘Do you understand what this scholarship is?’ And I replied, ‘I understood that it is for a year of my tuition.’ And he said, ‘No, it’s for all four years of medical school.’ I couldn’t breathe.
“The Long Scholarship changed my life for several reasons. First, it affirmed everything that I had worked for to get to where I was. Second, medical school and residency were difficult. There were times when I questioned if I was on the right path. And when I didn’t feel my purpose or have faith in myself at times, it gave me the resolve to keep going. I always fell back on Mr. and Mrs. Long’s belief in me. Third, the scholarship gave me the peace to pursue medicine and truly focus on serving others, not having to worry each day how I was going to financially make it through four years of med school,” she said.
Joe R. Long and the late Teresa Lozano Long of Austin created the Long Scholars program through The Joe R. and Teresa L. Long Scholarship Research and Teaching Fund
The scholarship program pays the tuition of approximately 62 medical, nursing, physician assistant, and MD/PhD students each year. The Longs, who were married 63 years, have contributed more than $70 million to UT Health to advance the future of health.
Dr. Tom is now in her tenth year as a faculty member. “I couldn’t be prouder to treat patients and educate future doctors. Since graduating medical school, I’ve personally spent over 15,300 hours teaching medical students and have trained 196 residents. I’ve traveled the world serving patients with the UT Health name on my white coat. I talk to high school students in rural communities about how to pursue medicine.”
“Mr. and Mrs. Long never had children, and they always told us we were their children. They also told us the scholarship came with the expectation that one day we will give back by giving a scholarship to a student. I’m proud to say that my husband and I have been able to give back to UT Health in honor of Mr. and Mrs. Long,” she added.
Joe R. Long and the late Teresa Lozano Long of Austin began their legacy of supporting UT Health San Antonio in 1999 with an annual major gift for scholarships to 12 deserving medical students who were the first in their families to attend college and were from South Texas. They were the first 12 original Long Presidential Scholars. The Longs’ generosity continued in 2008 with a $25 million gift that established The Joe R. and Teresa L. Long Scholarship Research and Teaching Fund allowing the creation of permanent endowments toward scholarship for students, support of faculty recruitment and retention, and research in diabetes and other diseases that affect people in South Texas. Today, the fund supports the Long Presidential Scholars, the Long Medical Scholars, the Long Graduate Scholars in the MD/PhD program, the Long Nursing Scholars, and the Long Physician Assistant Scholars.
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