Dr. Burr Field Scholarship Fund announces 2021 recipients

Contact: Christy Olsen Field

December 7, 2021

The Dr. Burr Field Scholarship Fund announces its 2021 scholarship recipients: Marleny Carmona from the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine in Spokane; and Travis Nash, Juan Razo, and Jordyn Wirkkala from the Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine in Yakima, Wash.

The Dr. Burr Field Scholarship supports medical school students in their fourth year of studies as they prepare for careers in family medicine in rural Eastern Washington.

“This year’s group of applicants was exceptional. Each of these scholarship recipients grew up in small communities, and they have experienced first-hand the positive impact of rural family medicine physicians, both as patients and now as medical students,” said Carl Field, Board President of the Dr. Burr Field Scholarship Fund.

“Because of the generosity of our supporters, we increased our scholarship amount to $5,000 per student this year. On behalf of the Board of Directors and the Field family, it is an honor to support these students as they prepare to launch their careers in family medicine,” he added.

Marleny Carmona is from Mattawa, Wash. “I look forward to becoming a family medicine doctor in rural Eastern Washington to break cultural and language barriers in medicine and to be an agent of positive change in the medical field,” she said.

Travis Nash is from Outlook, Wash. He is applying to family medicine residency programs in Eastern Washington, and says: “Each residency program has a special commitment to treating the predominantly rural and underserved communities of their corner of the state and I believe that being able to practice in an area like this affords newly graduated physicians, such as myself, an unparalleled look at the health disparities that exist in our rural communities.”

Juan Razo is from Grandview, Wash. “As I plan for the future, I can’t help but focus on the need for more providers within our rural communities. I plan to be part of that solution. In doing so, I hope to promote health and well-being and prevent progression of disease,” he said.

Jordyn Wirkkala is from Cathlamet, Wash. She writes: “I knew medicine was my career goal and that working in a rural area, like where I grew up, was where I wanted to be. The interpersonal relationships, the trust, and the full-scope practice are how I see myself practicing family medicine.”

Please click here to read more about each of our scholarship recipients.

About the Dr. Burr Field Scholarship Fund

Dr. Burr Field (1951-2015) spent his 36-year career as a family medicine physician in Prosser, Wash., where he was deeply committed to providing compassionate, high quality health care for the community. In 2015, the Field family and friends established the Dr. Burr Field Scholarship Fund to carry on his legacy and support the next generation of health care providers in rural Eastern Washington.

For more information, visit drburrfield.org or facebook.com/drburrfield, or write to Dr. Burr Field Scholarship Fund, PO Box 1655, Prosser, WA 99350.