The Provident Foundation

OUR LEGACY, OUR FUTURE

The Provident Foundation provides access to education, mentorship, and scholarship opportunities for underrepresented Chicago area youth pursuing careers as next generation doctors, nurses, and other health professionals in keeping with the historical legacy of Provident Hospital and Training School and its founder Dr. Daniel Hale Williams. 

African American medical students are more than twice as likely as white students to express the intention to work in high-poverty, minority communities. However, according to American Association of Medical Colleges and U.S. Census data, only 6.2% of medical school graduates are African American despite accounting for 13.4% of the population. Furthermore, only 5.3% of medical school graduates are Hispanic relative to more than 18.3% of the population. We are committed to improving and increasing the number of healthcare providers giving back and transforming our community.

MEET JONATHAN BANKS

DMD/PhD STUDENT AT UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS CHICAGO

Jonathan recently completed his freshman year of graduate studies at University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) where he is pursuing a DMD/PhD, a seven-year program with the first three years dedicated to research and the remaining four years to the standard dental program. His research interests include bone fracture healing, oral and maxillofacial surgery, and tissue regeneration. His other interests include promoting access to affordable dental care and tackling health inequities in dentistry. 

Reflecting on his time as a Provident Foundation Scholar, Jonathan states, "When I applied to The Provident Foundation, I was looking for more than just a scholarship. I've been around the Chicago area my entire life and have been connected to the UIC campus, but what I found at The Provident Foundation was something more. I found an environment that supported me in all aspects of my studies, that recognized the financial needs and the other aspects that go into a pre-medical and pre-dental education. I felt supported and I knew I had developed a network at The Provident Foundation that I could count on when times were tough in my undergraduate years. I am super grateful for The Provident Foundation. Even though I joined a while ago, I am still reaping the benefits. I am happy to give back to the Foundation while I’m still in school and, hopefully, in the future." 

BE A PART OF THE FUTURE

When you give to the Provident Foundation you become a part of the solution by addressing racial disparities in the healthcare system, and by providing mentoring and on-going support to our scholarship recipients throughout their undergraduate and pre-med studies continuing into their medical careers.