Lincoln University Hopeful Medical Students Learn the Ropes through Primary Scholars Program

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LINCOLN UNIVERSITY Pa. – Biology major Jane Frances Aruma, and Lincoln alumni Prisca Obidike '18 and Nonyelum Ibik '17, recently gained an inside look into the world of medicine through Penn State College of Medicine’s annual Primary Care Scholars program held May 21 – June 1.


Primary Care Scholars pose for a group photo at the Penn State College of Medicine | Photo Courtesy of Penn State College of Medicine

The highly selective program puts med-school hopefuls alongside medical students and primary care physicians allowing them to gain firsthand knowledge on the medical school application process and curriculum.

“The Primary Care Scholars program is an effort to attract more students into fields of primary care, as there continues to be a shortage of primary care physicians in the U.S.,” explained Dr. Dennis Gingrich, a professor at the Department of Family and Community Medicine and Humanities. “More primary care physicians would provide continuity and cost-effective, coordinated care for patients from cradle to grave.”1


Students learn tips on applying to medical school | Photo Courtesy of Penn State College of Medicine

Students also gain exposure to a variety of practices including family medicine, internal medicine, and pediatrics.

“The Primary Care Scholars Program is an amazing opportunity for our students to explore a field of medicine that is in desperate need of practitioners.  As a result of their participation, several of our students who are now in medical school are planning to go into primary care fields,” said Dr. David Royer, a professor in Lincoln’s Department of Biology.

Before completing the program, Obidike, Lincoln’s 2018 valedictorian, was accepted into the Penn State College of Medicine. She joins Abena Kwegyir-Aggrey '17, Autumn Vogel '14, and Renyta Scales '16 who are currently medical students at the Penn State College of Medicine and former participants of the Primary Scholars Day program.

Article by Devin Bonner, Office of Communications & Public Relations

1 Penn State Info Net

Lincoln University, the nation’s first degree-granting Historically Black College and University (HBCU), educates and empowers students to lead their communities and change the world. Lincoln offers a rigorous liberal arts education to a diverse student body of approximately 2,200 men and women in more than 35 undergraduate and graduate programs.