Anamaria Ancheta said her passion for medicine was sparked by her grandfather’s Cancer diagnosis and the desire to help the Hispanic community in the U.S.

HOUSTON, TX – The SignatureCare Emergency Center Scholarship Award Committee is pleased to announce that it has selected Anamaria Ancheta, a Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, New Mexico, Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) student as the 2024 Spring Semester Medical and Health Scholarship winner.

The committee said Ms. Ancheta was chosen to receive the bi-annual $1,000 scholarship award because of her strong passion for the healthcare and medical field, and her commitment to help her community.

The scholarship award which is given to qualified U.S. college students, is aimed at helping them pay for their tuition, room and board, books, and other college-related expenses.

To be considered for this highly competitive award, students are required to meet certain criteria, and submit a 500-word essay that answers the question: Who or what inspired you to enter the medical field? More information about the scholarship is available on our scholarship information page.

While accepting the award, Anamaria Ancheta said receiving this scholarship will help ease the burden of her college tuition.

“With this scholarship I will be able to continue pursuing my medical education and become the first physician in my family. This scholarship is significant in easing the burden of my tuition cost,” she said.

“They say it take a village and I want to thank everyone at SignatureCare Emergency Center for being a part of my village,” Ancheta continued.

She said her passion for healthcare and medicine was sparked by her grandfather’s Cancer diagnosis and her struggles to be an advocate for him during his treatment.

“My passion for medicine was solidified during my grandfather’s diagnosis with adenocarcinoma in 2018. Living in a multigenerational household with both my parents working full time, I became his primary caretaker, taking him to his chemo and radiation appointments every weekday. This new role brought many challenges as I was commuting over an hour from San Ysidro to La Jolla and juggling twenty – four units across two schools.

“However, being involved in his care I began to see how important advocacy, cultural competency, and translational services were for patients from the Latino Community. With only a third-grade education and limited English abilities, my grandfather struggled to understand his diagnosis and treatment options. As a young adult, I often felt helpless navigating this big system alone and advocating for my grandfather’s needs.

“With this scholarship I will be able to follow my dream by earning medical education and address the need for Spanish speaking Latino physicians in the hopes that another scared girl and her grandfather may find peace in a physician that speaks their same language.”

“This all changed when my grandfather began to see a Spanish speaking physician that related to our culture and was accommodating to our family dynamic. My grandfather’s outlook on his diagnosis and treatment plan greatly improved and I truly felt he began to be his authentic self. This experience motivated me to expand my ability to communicate in Spanish in the medical setting leading me to take intermediate Spanish during my gap years prior to entering medical school.

“Now, I have the privilege of attending Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, a medical school in the same small New Mexico County where my grandfather worked as an agricultural worker picking chilies, onions, and pecans. I honor his legacy by sharing in his culture with other Spanish-speaking patients in the clinic and ultimately hope to provide healthcare to the same El Paso Texas – Juarez, Mexico border region.

“Para la gentle yfutureturo”, is the mission statement of my medical school. A statement that sticks even closer to me after losing my grandfather after serving as his caretaker. While alive, he looked toward a future where their descendants could follow their dreams.

“With this scholarship I will be able to follow my dream by earning medical education and address the need for Spanish speaking Latino physicians in the hopes that another scared girl and her grandfather may find peace in a physician that speaks their same language, understands their unique family dynamic and shares in the same beautiful culture,” she added.

Dr. Christopher Langan, MD, an Emergency Medicine Physician and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of SignatureCare Emergency Center, congratulated Ms. Ancheta for winning the award.

“Ms. Ancheta’s passion and drive to complete her medical education and help her community is so evident. On behalf of everyone at SignatureCare Emergency Center, I congratulate her for winning this scholarship award,” he said.

To apply for the SignatureCare Emergency Center scholarship, please go to our scholarship page.