Established in 2001, the Point Scholarship covers tuition, books, supplies, room and board, transportation and living expenses, and is set up with the individual college to meet the needs of the Point Scholar. As well as the financial support, Point scholars are given access to a support network of professionals willing to be personally involved in their well-being and future success.
"Kara Toles is an excellent student and is steadfast in her commitment to social justice and eliminating health disparities for underserved populations," said Darin Latimore, director of Medical Student Diversity at UC Davis School of Medicine. "Just as impressive are her innate leadership qualities — strength, tenacity, intelligence, compassion — which set her apart from her peers. She is an exceptional student who I believe will be an exceptional physician advocate."
Describing herself as "a short, black, queer woman from a small town in Texas," Toles understood early on what it meant to be marginalized, misunderstood or disregarded. Almost from the beginning of her education, Toles established herself as a leader.
"I've experienced homophobia and racism in very real, painful ways," she said. "But these experiences have motivated me to do advocacy work for LGBT people and communities of color that aims for the social change we all need so desperately."
At the School of Medicine — where she is one of five African American students and one of three "out" gay students in her medical class of 104 — Toles took on roles that tackled, calmly but firmly, issues of gender and ethnic social injustice. In her first year of medical school, she served as referrals officer at the Imani Clinic, a free community clinic that offers preventive and culturally appropriate health care to underinsured and uninsured people in the Sacramento region. Time and again she witnessed how people of color were showing up with poorly controlled, chronic, preventable illnesses.
Currently, Toles serves as secretary of the Student National Medical Association; is the head organizer of LGBT People in Medicine, a student-run LGBT advocacy group; and is a student representative to the Task Force for Inclusion of LGBT Identification in Electronic Medical Records, the school's Cultural Competence Training Committee and the Admissions Committee. She also served as the only student panelist and shared her perspectives on the admissions process for LGBT medical students at an Association of American Medical Colleges conference.
"At UC Davis, I've found a community of social justice advocates who, like me, are not satisfied with the status quo," Toles said. "But in the end, it's much bigger than that. As a physician, I plan to advocate for all of my patients, while holding a special awareness of the history and present of discrimination that LGBT folks and communities of color face."
About the foundation
The Point Foundation is a national scholarship fund that provides financial support, mentoring, leadership training and hope to meritorious students who are marginalized due to sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
About UC Davis School of Medicine
The UC Davis School of Medicine is among the nation's leading medical schools, recognized for its specialty- and primary-care programs. The school offers fully accredited master's degree programs in public health and in informatics, and its combined M.D.-Ph.D. program is training the next generation of physician-scientists to conduct high-impact research and translate discoveries into better clinical care. Along with being a recognized leader in medical research, the school is committed to serving underserved communities and advancing rural health. For further information, visit www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/medschool.