For PCOM South Georgia student Diamond Alexander (DO '27), winning the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Scholarship affirmed her lifelong passion for helping others.
Growing up in a single-parent household in Alabama, Alexander spent a lot of time with her grandparents who lived in a rural area with limited access to healthcare. It was then that she first saw how important preventative healthcare was and the power of a good physician.
As the first person in her family to attend medical school, Alexander says the NHSC Scholarship represents both a personal milestone and a professional mission. “I want to be a physician who hears my patients, understands them, and helps them find treatment plans that make sense for their everyday lives,” she said.
The NHSC Scholarship, open to first- through fourth year-medical students, is a federally funded program that supports aspiring physicians dedicated to primary care service in healthcare shortage areas across the nation. In return for tuition assistance, educational expense, and living stipend support, scholars commit to providing at least two years of full-time service in an NHSC-designated health professional shortage area following graduation and residency.
Alexander, inspired by her own primary care physician and a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO), plans to pursue Obstetrics and Gynecology, a specialty that feels critically important to her.
“I want to be a physician who hears my patients, understands them, and helps them find treatment plans that make sense for their everyday lives.”
Diamond Alexander (DO '27)Medical Student and NHSC Scholarship Winner
“During my undergraduate studies, as I learned about health disparities affecting minority populations and explored women’s health topics, I realized how empowering it was for women to understand their bodies and receive compassionate, culturally aware care. I want to be someone that helps women achieve that,” Alexander said.
To fellow students considering the NHSC Scholarship—particularly those drawn to primary care—Alexander offers encouragement rooted in authenticity and perseverance.
“Go after opportunities that align with your passion,” she said. “Don't hold back or limit yourself. Put your truth out there and show your passion—anything is possible.”
In 2019, Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM), a premier osteopathic medical school established in 1899, extended its commitment to the Southeast by establishing PCOM South Georgia. An additional teaching location in Moultrie, Georgia, PCOM South Georgia offers both a full, four-year medical program leading to the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree and a Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences. PCOM is a private, not-for-profit institution that trains professionals in the health and behavioral sciences fields. Joining PCOM Georgia in Suwanee in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state, PCOM South Georgia focuses on educating physicians for the region. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 229-668-3110.
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Gabrielle DePietro
Associate Director, News and Media Relations
Office of Marketing and Communications
Email: gabrielde2@pcom.edu
Office: 215-871-6304
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