Three students at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) will begin their medical careers with far less student loan debt than many of their peers thanks to the generosity of an integrated health system in the Youngstown-Warren, Ohio area.
The students, Benedict L. Belcik of Girard, Ohio, Vincent Caicco of Niles, Ohio, and Gregory R. Delost of Boardman, Ohio, have been chosen for $100,000 scholarships by Humility of Mary Health Partners (HMHP). Students from LECOM, Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), and the Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine (OUHCOM) were eligible to apply.
The scholarships benefit qualified medical students who are residents of Mahoning, Trumbull, and Columbiana counties in northeast Ohio or the adjacent counties of Lawrence and Mercer in western Pennsylvania and are intended to help ensure an adequate number of physicians for the Youngstown-Warren area. Following their residencies, the recipients are required to spend five years in practice with the medical staff at a Humility of Mary Health Partners hospital, including St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown, St. Joseph Health Center in Warren, and St. Elizabeth Boardman Health Center in Boardman.
 |
| Benedict L. Belcik (left), Gregory R. Delost, and Vincent Caicco (not pictured) each received $100,000 scholarships from Humility of Mary Health Partners, an integrated health system in the Youngstown-Warren, Ohio area. |
Applicants were selected on the basis of academic credentials, their commitment to practicing in the greater Youngstown area, and their commitment to Humility of Mary Health Partners’ mission, which includes providing care for the poor and underserved and “continuing Christ’s healing ministry,” according to HMHP. Belcik, Caicco, and Delost are excited to practice in their hometown.
“I still have family there and I want to do my part to help,” said Belcik, who graduated summa cum laude from Youngstown State University with a bachelor’s degree in biology. “The scholarship will be a tremendous help. I’m very grateful.”
Said Caicco, a graduate of Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology, “Receiving this scholarship is a tremendous honor, because I’ve always considered the Youngstown area home and I’m very familiar with the people. I sincerely hope to make a difference as a physician and I genuinely look forward to returning to the community and giving back.”
Delost, who has had a clinical rotation at one of the Humility of Mary hospitals, St. Elizabeth Health Center, looks forward to serving with physicians whose mission and values are aligned with his own. “I was struck by the strong degree of compassion the physicians have for their patients,” said Delost, who graduated summa cum laude from Gannon University with a bachelor’s degree in biology. “Their commitment and dedication to providing the best and most comprehensive care is evident. They are very knowledgeable and enthusiastic and extremely accommodating in their willingness to work with young medical professionals. I’m excited.”
Belcik, who hopes to pursue a residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation with an emphasis on sports medicine, is also appreciative of the scholarship because it will allow him greater freedom in terms of choosing a specialty. “It’s comforting to know I’ll be able to focus on what I love to do, instead of going into a specialty only because of the pay scales.”
About the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
LECOM is the nation’s largest medical college and with Millcreek Community Hospital and the Clinical Practices of Erie forms the only osteopathic Academic Health Center in the United States. LECOM is at the core of this highly innovative medical education system and strives to add to the quality of life of its neighbors by bringing total health care to the community. LECOM is preparing the next generation of physicians, dentists, and pharmacists at campuses in Erie and Greensburg, Pa., and in Bradenton, Fla.
About Humility of Mary Health Partners
Humility of Mary Health Partners is an integrated health system located in the Youngstown/Warren, Ohio area. HMHP provides a full spectrum of health care services, including inpatient, outpatient, emergency, urgent care, home care, residential and long-term care, and hospice care. Its members are St. Elizabeth Health Center, St. Joseph Health Center, St. Elizabeth Boardman Health Center, Humility of Mary Home Health Services, The Assumption Village, Humility House, Hospice of the Valley and Laurel Lake. St. Elizabeth and St. Joseph health centers, St. Elizabeth emergency and diagnostic centers in Boardman and Austintown, and the St. Joseph Outpatient Surgery Center in Howland have achieved magnet recognition status, the gold standard of patient care.