Meet Mohammed Othman, a UNT undergrad currently pursuing his degree in biochemistry who was recently accepted to participate in the Joint Admission Medical Program. JAMP is a Texas state-wide program that helps students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds pursue their dreams of becoming a doctor.

"Finding out I was admitted to JAMP as a scholar was both thrilling and a relief," said Mohammed. "I can worry less now about how I will get through my undergraduate studies and get accepted to medical school knowing I won't be alone, as JAMP is right beside me!"

While staying busy with work, volunteering, and family commitments, Mohammed has also proven himself to be a hardworking and dedicated student. Since starting his undergraduate degree, he has been the recipient of two recurring scholarships, the UNT Excellence North Texas Scholarship as well as the UNT Educational Grant. He has also received acceptances by Scholarshot and the McKesson Foundation Scholarship Program.

Mohammed's dream is to become a surgeon and contribute meaningful research and clinical trials in his future career. He was first inspired to pursue medicine after his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer.

"The way that there was a laid-out plan for every step of her journey and watching her regain her glow -- I just wanted to contribute to someone's life just as her doctors have," he said.

JAMP is specifically designed to set students up with opportunities and experiences that help them succeed in their pre-med goals, helping with test prep, mentorship, internship placement, and more.

"JAMP will be taking care of the expenses and planning for my MCAT preparation and thereby redirecting much more of my attention towards extracurriculars such as research and shadowing," he said. "Countless weekends I that I would have spent at work can now be invested toward my future in a more meaningful way."

While at UNT, Mohammed has been delighted to discover new subjects he never realized he would be so passionate about and finds himself excited for the future. "Most recently, I've become incredibly interested in neuroscience and plan to gain research experience to join in on future studies," he said. "In the coming year I am motivated to double my volunteer hours and gain experience in laboratory research. I am set on crushing my MCAT goals and moving forward."

Mohammed's advice to other students who plan to take the pre-med path at UNT is to always be open to help. "It is important that you become tough to match the demands of such a competitive path, but its just as important to draw from the people that are so willing to help you," he said.

Learn more about JAMP at UNT here: https://healthcareers.unt.edu/program/jamp