AHEC Scholar Spotlight: Bruke Abenet

Michigan AHEC Scholar Bruke Abenet is a second-year resident at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker, M.D. School of Medicine Family Medicine Residency program. He is also part of the MIDOCS residency program, which is a state-funded program set up to expand graduate medical education residency positions in select specialties to recruit and retain physicians in underserved areas in the state of Michigan. Bruke is originally from Ethiopia, but lived many years in Georgia where he completed most of his clinical science rotations. He attended medical school at Georgetown American University School of Medicine. 

Bruke has found being an AHEC Scholar has enhanced his educational experience. “My participation in AHEC Scholars program has allowed me to explore my curiosity regarding the intricate ways healthcare is impacted by external barriers. It has allowed me to recognize that cultural and social barriers directly impact the quality of care. I have come to recognize health as a fundamental human right where certain racial sub-groups are often targeted and more vulnerable to receiving substandard care. To bridge this gap, all healthcare professionals must question their role and obligation and find ways they can commit their daily practice to promote health equity. Through my continued participation, I hope to explore and discover my own pathway that can address such shortcomings of modern healthcare.”