MEDICAL EDUCATION
Brandon Moritz was honored by the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved for his extensive efforts in caring for underserved populations
Association of Clinicians for the Underserved Honors Student for ‘Going Above and Beyond’ Even before he considered becoming a physician, Brandon Moritz was caring and advocating for underserved populations, a commitment that has only deepened during his time as a medical student at the OU College of Medicine. That dedication recently garnered national attention when he was honored by the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved with its Health Professional in Training Award. Moritz, a member of the Class of 2023, was selected for the honor among health profession students from numerous disciplines around the nation. His efforts perfectly fit the award criteria of “going above and beyond” to address the healthcare needs of underserved populations. “To encounter a student leader who has the gift of leadership — the ability to truly light up a room with inspiration and to transform ideas into engagement — is rare,” said OU College of Medicine Executive Director for Academic Affairs Lin Goldston, MHA, who nominated Moritz for the award. “Brandon has never let the global COVID-19 pandemic slow him down. He has forged creative ways to provide access to care and improve health among the underserved population in Oklahoma City, and he helped lead the mobilization of hundreds of student volunteers to organize COVID-19 vaccine clinics in Oklahoma. His contributions to caring for underserved populations are vast and immeasurable.” Moritz, who grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, volunteered in a variety of projects from an early age. His parents laid the foundation for serving others, he said, and he was exposed to activities in which volunteers cared for the physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and social needs of others. During his college years, he volunteered with Service Over Self, an organization providing home renovation and reconstruction in Memphis inner-city communities, and for several months he served in rural areas of Haiti through mobile outreach clinics with the organization Mission of Hope.
and began envisioning my career as serving marginalized communities that historically have had little access to care,” Moritz said. After earning a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Arkansas, Moritz moved to Philadelphia, where he worked for Esperanza Health Center, a federally qualified health center providing primary care services in a primarily underserved, Spanish-speaking community. Because of the clinic’s location in an area considered a “regional opioid epicenter,” that work also introduced him to the ravages of the opioid crisis. Once he was accepted into the OU College of Medicine, Moritz discovered new outlets for caring for underserved populations. In his first year, he was named president of the OU Community Health Alliance (OUCHA), which serves the uninsured and underinsured populations of Oklahoma City while also creating an educational experience for students.
Brandon Moritz prepares to give a COVID-19 vaccination. He was among the student leaders for vaccine clinics.
“It was in Haiti that I solidified my desire to become a doctor
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