According to a 2021 assessment by the state health department, half of all Mississippians live in a medically underserved county. And Mississippi isn’t alone – according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, 74 million Americans live in areas with healthcare worker shortages.
But the Mississippi Rural Physicians Scholarship Program is working to change that by identifying rural college students who aspire to return to their roots to practice medicine. Haley James, a junior biology student at Millsaps, is one of the newest members of the program.
Hailing from Laurel, James transferred to Millsaps from a two-year college. Even before becoming a student, she knew this was the right place for her. “I wanted to declare as a pre-medical student and Millsaps boasts a really strong record of graduating students into medical school,” she said. With a medical school acceptance rate double the national average, Millsaps takes pride in laying the academic foundation for many Mississippi doctors.
But the Millsaps experience is about more than acceptance rates and GPAs – it’s about lifelong connections. Professors at Millsaps don’t just know their students’ names, they know their stories! Dr. Lee Maggio, the director of pre-health studies, knew James would be a great applicant because they both grew up in Jones County, a rural area of the state. She urged James to apply and walked through the process with her, step by step.
After hours of preparing her application, with transcripts, future coursework, volunteer hours, shadowing hours and recommendations from faculty, James’ advanced to two rounds of interviews before finally being accepted. “The application process alone has helped me, because it mimics the medical school application process,” she said. “Dr. Maggio held multiple mock interviews for me. That gave me a level of confidence I wouldn’t have otherwise had.”
James isn’t just a pre-medical student; she’s also a student athlete. As the captain of the women’s soccer team, she juggles a busy schedule, but that has been one of the most rewarding parts of attending Millsaps. “I feel like I can do it all here. People like Dr. Maggio have encouraged me to take advantage of every opportunity I can,” she said. “That encouragement is what led me to this program.”
James’ hard work has not gone unnoticed. “Haley has worked extremely hard since transferring to Millsaps in the middle of her sophomore year,” Dr. Maggio said. “We are very proud of her diligence in her studies, her leadership on the women’s soccer team and her desire to practice as a physician in an underserved population. I can’t wait to see what she does!”
As a participant in the program, James will get rural clinical experience, mentorship from rural physicians and networking opportunities with other pre-med students. Much like her rigorous coursework at Millsaps, these opportunities will equip her for the challenges of medical school.
Upon admittance, she will be considered for a $35,000 scholarship for each year of medical school. If awarded the scholarship, James agrees to serve as a physician in a rural area of Mississippi for each year she is granted scholarship money, up to four years total.
“There’s no question that medical school will be demanding, but I think Millsaps has prepared me for it better than any other school could have,” she said. “The classes here are challenging and I’ve been pushed to expand my knowledge and skills in ways I couldn’t have imagined. But my professors and advisors have been there every step of the way.”
“I’ve grown so much as a leader, a learner, an athlete, a friend – I’m just an all-around better person because of Millsaps,” she said.