It’s the ultimate compliment — to have something meaningful named in your honor after you die.
Support Pamies Scholarship Fund
It’s the holiday season, and the spirit of giving is all around us.
The Rubens J. Pamies Scholarship Fund provides pre-health professions students support to cover graduate examination or travel/moving expenses, which often present as great barriers to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“It’s an incredible honor to help keep Dr. Pamies’ legacy and mission alive,” said Sonja Tutsch, program manager for the Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) at UNMC.
If you would like to make a donation to the Rubens J. Pamies Scholarship Fund, your contribution – no matter what amount — would be welcome. You can make a donation by going to this website.
It gets even better when it’s something that embodies your lifelong passion.
Which brings us to Rubens Pamies, M.D. — a familiar name to longtimers at UNMC. Dr. Pamies served as vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean for graduate studies between 2002-2011 before passing unexpectedly at the age of 52.
Dr. Pamies was committed to growing awareness of health disparities and cultural sensitivity and embracing diversity across campus and beyond. Among his lasting legacies was getting UNMC selected in 2005 as one of 12 universities to host students in what is now called the Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP), formerly known as the Summer Medical Dental Education Program (SMDEP).
SHPEP is a six-week program for students from around the nation who represent communities that are underrepresented in the health professions. The program’s goal is to provide scholars academic enrichment in the health sciences and equip them with the essential knowledge and skill sets to help them be better prepared when they apply for a health professions graduate program.
The SHPEP Scholars at UNMC have the opportunity to explore and prepare for careers in medicine, dentistry, nursing, public health, and allied health (physician assistant or physical therapy).
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Karen Morris-Priester, M.D. |
Called the Rubens J. Pamies Scholarship Fund, the scholarship was a huge success in its first year. Four students received the $500 award with 216 students applying.
“It’s not a huge dollar amount,” said Dr. Morris-Priester, who was one of the lead donors. “But it can have a major impact. One of the scholarship recipients began crying when she got the news. She had been unable to come up with even the reduced fee for the MCAT exam and had given up the idea of applying.”
Dr. Morris-Priester said she would never have gotten into medical school without SHPEP. She went on to graduate from Yale Medical School in 2007 and did her residency at Harvard.
She never knew Dr. Pamies, but his reputation preceded him. “It was a unanimous vote,” she said. “The only person we could name the scholarship after was Dr. Pamies. We just wanted his UNMC colleagues to know his legacy continues long after his untimely death.”
Something tells me Dr. Pamies — a big man with an even bigger heart — would have been quite proud.
Click here and here to learn more about the legacy of Dr. Pamies.
I learned so much for Dr. Pamies. This is a wonderful way to honor him and his legacy!
I am so pleased that Dr. Pamies has been honored with this memorial. I witnessed many of his efforts at UNMC and was glad to work with him.
I can think of no better tribute to an exemplary person and physician than a scholarship fund that will carry his name forever. I know Rubens on both a professional and personal level. Because we were both from the Bronx and we both had a love of NY Yankees baseball we established a bond. His big heart brought us together at the NY Yankees Spring Training Camp in 2007. His dedication to the underserved and the people of his native country, Haiti was profound. His untimely passing was a shock to everyone who knew him. We think of him often and we are better for his contributions and friendship.
Irv Zucker
The Scholarship in his honor is a wonderful remembrance of Rubens. I worked with him very closely as his Associate and was impressed by his dedication to all students and his special focus on underserved populations. He also was an exemplary leader of a complex and diverse administrative unit – knowing when to delegate and when to step in. He was a great role model and I am assured that the same kind of focus on the students is in good hands with Dr. Davies.