Jamira Jones, M.D. '00

For Jamira Jones, M.D. '00, the MPLCC Scholarship she received from University of Detroit Mercy (UDM) "made a huge difference." Through the scholarship, she was able to attend UDM tuition free for four years, graduating with a bachelor's degree in biochemistry, which prepared her to attend medical school.

"College is so expensive," says Jones, "and going into graduate school, (the scholarship) really saved me some money. It gave me a really good start in life."

The MPLCC Scholarship is a full-time undergraduate academic scholarship provided by UDM annually to two high school candidates who meet UDM's academic qualifications and reside in the MPLCC neighborhood near UDM's McNichols Campus. (The area is within the boundaries of West McNichols on the north, the Lodge Freeway on the south, with Livernois on the west and Log Cabin and Idaho streets on the east). An MPLCC Scholarship Committee, comprised of area residents, reviews the list of qualified candidates each spring, and following individual interviews, selects the two scholarship recipients.

Jones admits that she wasn't a highly motivated student in high school. But when she entered UDM, Jones was determined to excel. She took advantage of the tutoring and other support services available to help her succeed.

"When I came to college," says Jones, "it was my time to shine. I knew I could do the work. My first chemistry professor, Dr. (Kevin) Belfield, made me feel I could do well in chemistry," she adds. "He was very inspirational and encouraged me. It was a good feeling, like someone actually believed that I could do chemistry."

Jones remembers calculus being more of a challenge. "Calculus really scared me because I didn't take it in high school," she explains. "But Professor Dwyer would help me after class and I really utilized the Learning Center for tutoring. I was never ashamed to get that help. I had tutors for both chemistry and calculus, and I went to study sessions. I would get any help I could, and it worked. I actually ended up liking calculus a lot."

Jones recommends that students take advantage of the resources at UDM and try to find a mentor.

"It's important to surround yourself with positive people," says Jones. "Negative people can easily distract you from college."

She also suggests getting involved in the community around the University as well as at UDM. As one of her UDM experiences, she participated in a backpacking trip to Virginia's Shenandoah National Park with a group of students and two faculty members.

"I enjoyed staying on campus," she recalls. "I met my best friends at UDM. It was like a little community. You got to know everyone, including your professors. I was like one of 12 students in a class. It was a good fit for me."

With her good grades, Jones decided to attend medical school upon graduation from UDM.

"No one in my family had done medicine before, and I thought that would be cool, " explains Jones. "It was something I thought I could do, and it would be a great achievement if I could do it. I studied really hard and graduated with a 3.97."

Following medical school at Wayne State University, Jones did her residency at Detroit Receiving Hospital. She then worked at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas and completed a Fellowship in Practice Medicine and Health Policy. She became Board Certified in Emergency Medicine and worked at several hospitals in California and Texas. Currently, Jones is on staff in an Emergency Department in Forth Worth, Texas.

This past summer, Jones participated in a medical relief mission in Mendoza, Argentina for two weeks—her first time out of the country. During this time, Jones served as chief medical officer for 10 medical students, delegating responsibilities for triaging patients, setting up the pharmacy and distributing medications.

"We saw 50-80 patients a day," says Jones. "I am taking a medical Spanish course now to do more international medicine. I think in the long term, that's what I want to do.

"I'll always stay in the medical profession," she says, "even though it can be challenging, especially in the current economy with more people using the ER. I may also look to do more administrative work in quality improvement and satisfaction."

Reflecting on her time at UDM, Jones believes "UDM is a great school. After attending for four years and coming back periodically, I just really love the school," she adds. "I'm proud to be an alumnus."