The American Medical Association Foundation will honor Nicolas K. Fletcher, a student representative to the Michigan State Medical Society Board of Directors, with a Minority Scholars Award at the AMA’s annual Meeting in Chicago on June 7.
Nicolas was one of only 10 medical students in the country selected to receive this award, which was given in recognition of his academic achievement and commitment to the elimination of health care disparities. As an AMA Foundation Minority Scholar, he will receive a $10,000 scholarship.
Nearly 30 percent of the U.S. population is African-American, Hispanic, American Indian, Native Hawaiian or Alaskan Native, yet only about 9 percent of all U.S. physicians are from these racial and ethnic groups. Racial and ethnic disparities in care continue to plague the U.S. health care system, according to a federal report.
Fletcher graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Howard University in 2001. He recently completed an Orthopedic Surgery externship at New York University, and interned in Washington DC with the AMA Government Relations Internship Program.
Fletcher currently serves as the newly elected student representative to the Michigan State Medical Society Board of Directors and as a delegate for Region V on the Medical Student Section to the AMA. He also serves as the outgoing student representative to the American Medical Association Foundation Board.
Fletcher has served as standing member of the AMA MSS Minority Issues Committee, the MSS House Coordinating Committee, team leader on several reference committees at the state and national level, as well as co-chair of the MSU AMA Medical Student Section chapter. In addition, he is the Immediate-past Chair of the MSMS Medical Student Section.
As a result of his participation in the governance of the AMA, he is aware of students’ concerns, interests and needs as a general body. This wealth of knowledge has allowed him to contribute a very accurate representation of the student perspective, and in doing so, provide relevant and meaningful leadership on behalf of the students he has come to represent.
The AMA Foundation’s Minority Scholars Awards are given in partnership with the AMA Minority Affairs Section, with support from Pfizer, Inc.