Charles James Bate, M.D. Chairman’s Scholarship
Charles James Bate, M.D. Chairman’s Scholarship
Cultivating Aspiring Leaders (formerly the Charlotte A. Lewis Foundation) is a non-profit organization that provides targeted mentorship, educational resources, and financial assistance to exceptional minorities through the development and implementation of a range of programs. In 2008, Cultivating Aspiring Leaders established the Charles James Bate, M.D. Chairman’s Scholarship to honor, encourage, and financially assist exemplary students who are committed to providing healthcare services and education to underserved communities upon graduation, while honoring the legacy of Charles James Bate, M.D.
A well-known physician in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Dr. Charles James Bate practiced medicine for 50 years, primarily serving Tulsa’s African American community. Born in Castalian Springs, Tennessee, Dr. Bate graduated from Tennessee A&I, later named Tennessee State University, in 1934 and Meharry Medical College, an institution about which he always spoke fondly, in 1938. In 1940, Dr. Bate moved to Tulsa and became one of about sixteen African American physicians serving the then-segregated north side of Tulsa. During his early practice of medicine in a racially segregated city and state, Dr. Bate endured many obstacles, including rejected admission requests to local medical societies and organizations, segregated medical training, and denial of continued education in his field. Despite the social maladies of the time, Dr. Bate chose not to “fight back,” but instead to “pray for” others, while continuing to be a compassionate person and dedicated physician. Dr. Bate’s practice typified a “country doctor,” making house calls to patients who required more extensive care, diligently following up with his patients’ progress and overall health, and selflessly serving many less fortunate members of the community who often did not have the financial means to pay for medical care. Dr. Bate tirelessly worked in the profession that he loved, regardless of any wealth or acclaim he may or may not have received. Along with caring for his own patients, Dr. Bate visited local schools and performed check-ups on elementary school students as well.
Dr. Bate cared about the health and education of his community. In 1966, Dr. Bate began the Operation Hope campaign in order to help train young women to become medical assistants. Operation Hope was successful and became the forerunner for many similar programs to come. In an effort to educate his community about the importance of living healthy lives and how to achieve that goal, Dr. Bate and other members of the Black North Tulsa physicians, as well as other organizations, began a blood pressure campaign in 1972 to screen African Americans for high blood pressure and teach the risks of such a condition’s effect on the heart. Dr. Bate and other physicians began taking blood pressures in Black churches and designated supermarkets. In addition to providing superior healthcare to the African American community, Dr. Bate believed in promoting academic excellence and worked on various programs to achieve that goal.
Dr. Bate received many accolades and national recognition during his career. In 1952, Dr. Bate became the first African American member of the Tulsa County Medical Society (TCMS), making national news. He was also the first African American doctor to be named Doctor of the Year by the TCMS in 1984. In 1986, Dr. Bate published It’s Been a Long Time, and We’ve Come a Long Way, a book chronicling the struggles, contributions, and progress of African American men and women in Oklahoma’s medical community in the early to mid-1900s. Dr. Bate was also well-known for his integrity and character. Throughout his life, Dr. Bate took pride in being an honorable and honest man and professional. He often said, “Never lie to make a friend or to keep one,” and that is a creed by which he lived and is remembered in his personal and professional life. Upon retirement after 50 years of service to his community, Meharry Medical College awarded Dr. Bate the President’s Award for Fifty Years of Service to Mankind, paying tribute to his professional ethic and spirit of service to his community.
Read more about Dr. Charles James Bate: Interview with TCMS
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Purpose
The Charles James Bate, M.D. Chairman’s Scholarship provides medical students who 1) are members of an underserved minority group and 2) plan to provide medical services in underserved communities with financial assistance while in medical school. Scholarship recipients are each awarded $5,000.
Eligibility Requirements Applicants must demonstrate excellence in the following areas:
• Academic achievement
• Leadership
• Interpersonal skills
• Community service
• Maturity
To be eligible, applicants must:
- have at least one parent that is a member of an underserved minority group (African-American, Latino, Native American)
- be currently enrolled at or recently admitted to an accredited medical school as a freshman, sophomore, or junior (recently admitted/upcoming freshmen may have to provide proof of enrollment or acceptance);
- have a GPA of 3.3, or the equivalent of a B+, or higher;
- demonstrate a sincere desire to utilize one’s professional skills to serve underserved communities;
- exhibit leadership ability, participate in community service activities, have strong interpersonal skills, and demonstrate maturity and well-roundedness.
Scholars may be asked to participate in in-person or phone interviews at the discretion of the Selection Committee. The Selection Committee will only notify students who move on to the semifinalists and finalist rounds.
Please submit the following:
- Your extracurricular, community, employment or other activities in order of their importance to you. Indicate the dates you participated in the activity, positions held and the number of hours per week spent on each activity.
- Any significant awards or honors you have received during college or medical school for academic, extracurricular or community achievements.
- Two letters of recommendation (one page each), one of which must be from a professor that can attest to academic achievement and leadership in the classroom.
- Two transcripts (unofficial is permissible) from a) undergraduate school and b) completed semesters in medical school, including current semester coursework, if applicable.
- A recent digital photograph.
- (Optional) Any financial information the Selection Committee should consider.
- Essay 1 (750 words or less): How do you plan to contribute to underserved communities’ access to sufficient healthcare?
- Essay 2 (750 words or less) – Optional: In what ways did Dr. Charles James Bate, M.D. demonstrate leadership in his field and community?
The applications for our 2012 scholarship program are not currently available. Please sign up for email updates to learn when our next application cycle begins. Apply here! For more information, please email scholarships@calfoundation.org.