SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT — Steubenville resident Karlie Vandeborne, 23, has been named one of the recipients of the Andrew D. Bagby Family Medicine Scholarship. -- Contributed

STEUBENVILLE — Steubenville resident Karlie Vandeborne was named a recipient of the Dr. Andrew D. Bagby Family Medicine Scholarship. Bagby was a first-year resident in the Latrobe Hospital Family Medicine Residency when he died in November 2001. To honor his memory, the scholarship was created and is funded by his parents, family and friends.

Awarded annually to first- or second-year medical students who possess a demonstrated interest in pursuing a career as a family physician, the scholarship is administered by the Latrobe Area Hospital Charitable Foundation, enabling aspiring family physicians to gain in-patient and out-patient experience at Independence Health System.

Recipients must embody Bagby’s characteristics, including an engaging demeanor and the ability to easily relate to people at all levels. As part of the residency, the scholarship enables two- or four-week segments for medical students to explore career options, while gaining experience in various areas.

Vandeborne is enrolled at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and in a doctor of osteopathic medicine program.

She completed her undergraduate degree at Slippery Rock University, pursuing a career in family medicine to practice continuity of care, helping patients receive the care needed and seeing generations of people. Her path was shaped by individuals from multiple generations, she explained.

She noted she babysat a boy who overcame cancer as a baby and who now faces a diagnosis of autism, which further reinforced her commitment to family medicine.

Caring for her grandmother with dementia is another factor that led her to this career.

She served as a medical assistant at an OB/GYN practice, contributing to her career focus, and expressed her appreciation for the flexibility of the student program coordinator to accommodate individual interest, praising the mentorship and guidance of the physicians.

“I’d like to thank the family and friends of Dr. Bagby for the opportunity they’re giving to my colleagues and me to learn and to continue his legacy,” she concluded. “It’s been very eye-opening and fulfilling. I just appreciate that and for them keeping the scholarship available for us.”