How the Walnut Foundation is helping open doors for the next generation of physicians

For Samah Osman, the path to medicine was shaped by what she saw while navigating the health care system herself.

Those experiences helped her understand the difference a compassionate, community-minded physician can make—and ultimately inspired her to pursue medicine. Now, as a second-year MD student at Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Medicine and recipient of the Walnut Foundation Award, Osman is part of a new generation of learners preparing to shape the future of health care.

For students like Osman, the journey requires more than ambition. Financial barriers can stand between talented students and a career in medicine, making support from organizations like the Walnut Foundation an important part of helping learners succeed.

Creating opportunity through support

Established in 2025, the Walnut Foundation Award helps reduce financial barriers for incoming Black medical students while investing in the next generation of physicians. The award reflects a shared commitment to create opportunities for learners to thrive and help build a health care system that is responsive to the needs of diverse communities.

For the School of Medicine, that work is part of a broader commitment to learner success and belonging. Through its Office of Black Flourishing, the School is working to create an environment where learners feel supported, empowered and able to thrive.

“Learner success is about more than getting through the doors of medical school,” said Dr. Trudy McFarlane, Interim Associate Dean, Black Flourishing in Medicine and Healthcare. “It is about having the support and sense of belonging that allow students to thrive.”

Building a more diverse medical workforce

Black physicians remain underrepresented in medicine, while Black communities experience disproportionately higher rates of conditions including diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. The Walnut Foundation Award is helping reduce financial barriers and create greater opportunities for Black medical learners. 

Together, these efforts are helping build a more diverse medical workforce equipped to understand and serve the communities they will care for. The School of Medicine is grateful to the Walnut Foundation for its partnership and investment in the future of medicine.

For a limited time, donations to the Black Medical Students Bursary Fund are generously being used to unlock matching funds from the Foundation for Black Communities and the Orlando Corporation, tripling the impact of donations. 

To learn more about giving to the TMU School of Medicine, contact Jessica Kovacs or visit the TMU School of Medicine Giving page.