Read a message from Dr. Cecilia T. Valdes and her family to learn about your impact at Baylor College of Medicine through the Rutledge Valdes Endowed Scholarship Fund:
Fifteen years ago, we created a scholarship at Baylor College of Medicine in memory of Michael Lee Rutledge, M.D. Then, in 2011, we raised enough funds to endow this scholarship and establish the Rutledge Valdes Endowed Scholarship Fund. Thank you for your support of this crucial scholarship and for continuing the legacy of Dr. Michael Rutledge.
A truly dedicated leader in the Baylor community, Dr. Rutledge earned his doctorate degree and completed a residency in Pathology at the College. His family, friends and colleagues knew he was a lifelong learner and student, and this scholarship is a tribute to his admiration for learning. It is our hope to inspire the scholarship recipients with a similar drive and passion for medical education.
Your participation in this fundraising effort meant a lot to me and my family. We are still touched by your generosity. Now, we are delighted to share this report with you on how your efforts have impacted the recipients of this scholarship, many of whom have gone on to continue Dr. Rutledge’s legacy in their respective fields around the country.
Sincerely,
– Dr. Cecilia T. Valdes and family
Since 2012, Baylor has awarded the Rutledge Valdes Endowed Scholarship to 13 students who demonstrate a strong commitment to enhancing their knowledge in healthcare to advance patient care and biomedical research. We are delighted to share some of their stories and experiences with you.
“This scholarship allowed me to attend Baylor, where I was exposed to many different specialties and populations. Specifically, my experience with inpatient psychiatry at Ben Taub Hospital helped me decide to pursue this field. I am interested in pursuing a psychiatry residency at Baylor or another academic institution at a diverse city when I graduate and possibly doing a child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship.”
“It’s an incredible feeling knowing that your actions are producing the results you want, and every bit of reinforcement raises my standard to do better. I’m a Venezuelan immigrant who has faced many hardships, including a mudslide, the consequences of the Venezuelan political turmoil and the loss of my brother to oral cancer during my first year of medical school. The latter ignited my passion for head and neck surgical oncology, with a lifelong mission to improve the outcomes of cancer patients. Many thanks to the donors of the Rutledge Valdes Scholarship for believing in my potential as a future surgeon. Because of you, I will improve the outcomes of head and neck cancer patients while practicing state-of-the-art medicine with the utmost compassion.”
“The Rutledge Valdes Endowed Scholarship was hugely impactful and I’d love to share my message. This scholarship helped me appreciate the level of support that goes into graduating a physician – it takes a village. I enjoy all aspects of education and my experience at Baylor College of Medicine. Because of this, I continued my training at Baylor and joined as a faculty member in Family Medicine. Now, I teach my patients and students, and I learn from them too.”
Since its inception, the Rutledge Valdes Endowed Scholarship Fund has grown by nearly $50,000! That is incredible for scholarship recipients because we can support more students and their journey in medicine.
Anesthesiology Residency, Baylor College of Medicine
Radiology Residency, Baylor College of Medicine
Anesthesiology Residency, Baylor College of Medicine
Ophthalmology Residency, University of California, Los Angeles
Otolaryngology Residency, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center
Clinical Instructor, Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Cardiology Fellowship, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Dermatopathologist, Sagis
Assistant Professor, Family and Community Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine
Urologist, Revere Health
Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology, Baylor College of Medicine
Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellow, Seattle Children’s Hospital
Physician, Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
As friends and advocates of Baylor, you are integral to the success of our efforts. We want to share some of Baylor’s most promising research with you. You can learn about the College’s recent discoveries here at From The Labs.
