The Patrick T. Lai, M.D. and Carole C. Lai Endowed Scholarship was established to assist kama‘aina students with financial need who intend to practice medicine in Hawaiʻi. This scholarship will support eligible first, second, third and fourth year medical students at the University of Hawaiʻi John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM).
Dr. Patrick Lai, who passed away in 2006, and his wife Carole Chun Lai were married for 55 years and raised seven children together. Dr. and Mrs. Lai shared the conviction that education is one of the greatest gifts that anyone can receive and believed it was a duty and privilege to give back to the community.
While presenting the scholarship gift agreement, JABSOM Dean Jerris Hedges expressed his gratitude to Mrs. Lai for her generous gift that will ease the financial burden of medical school for future students.
Second year medical student Leimomi Kanagusuku joined Mrs. Lai and her children at the agreement presentation. Hearing Leimomi’s story and the reason she chose medicine as a career was a highlight of the morning.
