TCOM announces the creation of the Drs. Dralves and Jessica Edwards Scholarship

By Steven Bartolotta

Dr. Dralves Edwards
Dr. Dralves Edwards
Dr. Jessica Edwards
Dr. Jessica Edwards

To honor one of the pioneering families of its proud history, the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine has announced the creation of the Drs. Dralves and Jessica Edwards Scholarship.

Dr. Dralves Edwards was the first black student to graduate from TCOM in 1980, and 34 years later his daughter, Dr. Jessica Edwards, followed in his footsteps and earned her doctorate in 2014. They are TCOM’s first African-American parent-child legacy.

“From African-Americans being denied entrance into medical school due to their skin color to being the first Father-Daughter Legacy at TCOM, we have come a long way, but there is still work to be done,” said Dr. Jessica Edwards. “We hope that this scholarship fund helps to create opportunities for future medical students of color to thrive.”

“We are excited to create this scholarship honoring the legacy of the Edwards’ family who have been champions of diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Dr. Frank Filipetto, Dean of the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. “Our hope is that this scholarship will assist a TCOM student who demonstrates a passion to improve the experiences of black and minority students at HSC through leadership and service.”

Dr. Dralves Edwards was a pre-med major at North Texas State University in the early 1970s and graduated in 1973. He earned his master’s degree at Prairie View A&M and was admitted to TCOM in 1976.

He graduated in 1980 and has four decades of medical experience ranging from Emergency Medicine, Sports Medicine and Family Medicine. He is board certified from the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians, the American Board of Sports Medicine and is a Certified Medical Director from the American Academy of Home Health Care Physicians.

He was named the Dallas Urban League “Father of the Year” in 1992 and the Duncanville Chamber of Commerce Leadership “Man of the Year” in 1994. He also received the “Key to the City” from Duncanville in 2004.

Since 2004, he has practiced Emergency Medicine at Level III and IV trauma centers across the North Texas region. He is currently the Methodist Southlake Site Medical Director and also practices with the Dallas Medical Center ED.

Dr. Jessica Edwards is practicing family medicine in New Braunfels, Texas, and earned her master of science degree from the HSC’s Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences in 2010.  She is board certified in Family Medicine and OMT by the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians.

She completed her residency at Care Point Health in Family Medicine in Jersey City, New Jersey. In 2016, she was the recipient of the American Osteopathic Foundation/American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians Outstanding Resident in Family Medicine Award.

She was selected and served on AACOM’s prestigious Osteopathic Health Policy Fellowship. She received the National Medicine Association Post Gradate Top Healthcare Professional Under 40 Award in 2019.  In 2020, she was a keynote speaker at the TOMA Midwinter Conference. She is the Founder and CEO of Zara Medical Aesthetics and is currently practicing Family Medicine.

The scholarship will be awarded to a student who has demonstrated leadership and service to advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts that will result in the improved experiences of minority and other underrepresented groups at HSC and TCOM.

To make a donation to the Edwards scholarship fund click here:

https://www.unthsc.edu/give/dr-dralves-and-jessica-edwards-endowed-scholarship/

 

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