Striking the right note, TCOM’s Moises Correa receives prestigious scholarship from the Texas Medical Association
Moises Correa, you could say, had already fulfilled his dream. He was an accomplished musician who double-majored at The University of Texas in Biochemistry and Music, taught middle school band earning consistent UIL sweepstakes, and was even Teacher of the Year, but he wanted to do more. Correa wasn’t craving more accolades for himself; no, he wanted to serve, to help, and be a difference maker for those in need.
It’s this passion for service that led Correa to UNT Health Fort Worth’s Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, and the first-year student’s passion was rewarded as he received the Texas Medical Association’s Special Funds Foundation North Texas Specialty Physicians Medical Student Scholarship.
Correa applied for the scholarship over the summer, knowing that the competition would be fierce, so it was apropos that he was at a Fort Worth Medical Orchestra concert and during the intermission got the phone call.
“I was very nervous, because it's such a big scholarship,” Correa said. “I got a call from the president of TMA, and he told me there were hundreds of applications, but mine stuck out on top. My passion for serving and my story were very inspiring to him, and that just gave me goosebumps. That was amazing to think about, but we are products of our environments, and when you surround yourself with the right mentors and people, anything is possible.”
Established through a generous grant from North Texas Specialty Physicians in 2023, it’s available to first-year medical students who reside or have resided in Johnson, Parker, or Tarrant counties. The $10,000 award is renewed for three consecutive years, for a total award of $40,000, as long as the recipient remains enrolled as a full-time Texas medical student before reapplication.
TMA President-Elect Bradford Holland, MD, who chaired a subcommittee reviewing the
scholarship applications, was impressed with Correa and his unconventional path to
pursuing a career in medicine.
“He’s a truly remarkable young man who did rise above an extremely impressive group of peers, yet he stood out as someone we wanted to recognize and honor, certainly very deserving of this scholarship award,” Holland said.
Correa is quick to credit his mentors from his days in middle school and high school band for his success. Correa spent four years in the UT Marching Band and later took teaching roles in Pflugerville and Round Rock ISD as a middle school band director.
“Band was the reason why I have been so successful,” he said. “I had some really great mentors in my high school band who helped shape me to be resilient. They put me in leadership positions to help me grow as a person, and they are a huge part of it, and that’s why I wanted to teach first. I wanted to give back to music education and to the next generation of students because it completely changed the way I am as a person.”
Correa’s passion for giving back included volunteering at Dell Children’s Medical
Center in Austin, along with the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Texas.
While he was enjoying his role as a teacher, Correa felt the pull to do more for underserved
communities.
“I felt like I needed to make an impact, especially the underserved communities that I love working with,” Correa said.
Couple that with a life-changing event when he was in middle school, when his father became disabled from a work accident, falling from a water tower, and Correa’s foray into medicine struck the right chord.
“I was taught to put my passions forward, to go for my dreams,” he said. “I wanted to work with kids and music, now I want to help those communities in need. If somebody is sick, how are they supposed to follow their dreams? That’s why I wanted to get into medicine, I want to give back, to serve, and to help people have the chance to follow their dreams.”
Correa has continued his service while at TCOM, volunteering at the Mercy Clinic in Fort Worth, and he has plans to go on the medical mission trip to Guatemala over Spring Break to serve those most in need. But has he completely traded in his clarinet for a White Coat? Not at all.
“There is no doubt about it, I’m going to keep doing band, that’s a huge part of me, that’s cemented in me,” he said with a laugh. “When I’m not studying, I’m always thinking about music, so I plan to continue playing in community ensembles and teaching private lessons when I can.”
Correa is a first-generation college graduate and hopes to be a first-generation physician, and the scholarship from TMA is the perfect tune.