A Pledge to Practice in WNY

Surviving the rigors of medical school is no small feat. So when members of the Class of 2024 attended commencement ceremonies for the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences last May, they were more than ready to celebrate—especially Paige Guy. She had just learned she was one of two recipients of a Western New York Medical Scholarship of $120,000, cutting her medical school debt roughly in half. 

The program was initiated by Jacobs School alumni and local business and community leaders to tackle two challenges: the physician shortage in Western New York, especially in underserved areas, and medical student debt. 

Since 2012, the scholarships have been awarded to students who attend the Jacobs School and then pledge to stay and practice medicine in Western New York for five years after completing their training. 

Guy started out at SUNY Niagara (formerly Niagara County Community College) and quickly fell in love with medicine. She then enrolled at UB, majoring in biomedical sciences.   

After graduating, she spent a year doing research in a UB lab. She met the man who would become her husband, also a Jacobs School student, who planned to return to his hometown for residency. However, once Guy was accepted to the Jacobs School, he reconsidered.

Now, both are practicing medicine in Buffalo. “I never really wanted to go anywhere else,” says Guy, who started her internal medicine residency at UB last fall. 

And staying local has had its advantages, especially when they decided to start a family while Guy was in medical school. They are the proud parents of a 1- and 2-year-old. 

Guy demonstrates exactly what the Western New York Medical Scholarship is seeking to promote. “Our motto is simple: Live here, train here, remain here,” says John Bodkin, MD ’76, founder of the Western New York Medical Scholarship Fund. 

Bodkin, who was president of Highgate Medical and a family physician with the practice for 40 years, and other alumni and business leaders have raised more than $5 million from private donors, health systems and corporations and foundations, including Kaleida Health, the Catholic Health System, Inc., and the James H. Cummings Foundation.  

The fund has provided scholarships to more than 44 Jacobs School medical students, many of whom will practice primary care in underserved areas, where the shortages are most severe. 

The Western New York region ranks last in the state in many major health indicators, with a shorter than average life expectancy and higher rates of chronic disease. At the same time, WNY has the lowest number of primary care physicians per capita in the state. In the coming years, with an estimated 37% of primary care providers retiring, leaving practice or departing the state, we will be facing an even worse shortage than now. Providing incentives for new doctors to meet these needs and filling gaps in medical practices where they are needed most is the key for long-term success. With this scholarship, Guy becomes part of the solution for her community while looking out for the needs of her family.