Heritage – Medical Scholars Desire to Serve the People of Their Communities
Throughout high school, Bailey Buck showed her family’s cattle across Oklahoma and the country. But it was the time spent in offices of family friends who were doctors that determined the course for her higher education. She fell in love with the medical field.
Bailey is one of our Heritage – Medical Scholarship recipients, a payback scholarship that comes with an agreement to return for a period of time and work in a medical facility at the Choctaw Nation.
Bailey decided to pursue the degree of Doctor of Osteopathic medicine after having the opportunity to shadow family friend, Dr. Randy Grellner, DO. Dr. Grellner practices osteopathic medicine in a family clinic in Cushing, Oklahoma, and explained the concept of osteopathic medicine to Bailey while demonstrating excellent patient care. Through that, her goal is now to become an exceptional health care provider in Oklahoma.
“Being in medical school, you can get bogged down with how busy you are,” she says. “But at the end of the day, I just have to think about my end goal. I will be able to serve a rural community and a group of people that I have things in common with. My goal is to serve, not only as a doctor but involved in the community, whether it’s being on the school board or seeing people at church.
“I believe physicians must have a servant’s attitude toward their patients and their community. The Choctaw Nation takes pride in working to make life better for its members, and I will enjoy being a part of that dream.”
Bailey is currently finishing her fourth and final year of medical school at Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. She has done clinical rotations across Oklahoma, gaining exposure and knowledge in specialties applicable to family medicine. She has begun interviewing for residency spots to complete her medical training following graduation in May 2020.
Receiving the Heritage – Medical Scholarship through the Chahta Foundation is opening doors of opportunity. For Bailey, her Choctaw heritage means being part of another family that cares about her and wants her to succeed.
“My medical career has changed so significantly due to the scholarship,” she says. “I’ll be basically debt-free following medical school, and that’s rare. With the help of the donors, the monetary issues won’t be holding me back from goals I’m hoping to reach.”
Once her education and residency are complete, Bailey will return to the Choctaw Nation for her service period. Earlier this year, we welcomed our first such payback scholar, Megan Palmer.
In high school, Megan took medical profession classes that sparked an interest in that field. Friends and family encouraged her to consider massage therapy. But she wanted to go deeper and became a physical therapist.
“I wanted to use whatever I was doing for people in a way that helped them overcome pain or even insecurities if they are restricted from things they enjoy,” she says.
In pursuit of her educational goals, Megan applied for and received the Heritage – Medical scholarship. She was thrilled and felt it was yet another huge door God had pushed open as she went on to earn her Doctorate of Physical Therapy. Megan is in her scholarship payback position as a physical therapist at the Choctaw Nation Hospital in Talihina, Oklahoma.
“It makes me proud to know that I’m a part of something,” she says, “that my ancestors went through a lot to get us to where we are today, and we’re doing good with it. I felt like I’ve done what I needed to, and it’s all to the glory of God. I finally get to return everything I’ve been given.”
Having medical professionals return to serve at the hospital and clinics within the Choctaw Nation furthers the goal of sustaining our people physically and emotionally for generations to come.
Credit: Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer
