From Backpacks to White Coats

TTUHSC School of Medicine Invests in Tomorrow’s Healers Today

• By Kay Williams
• August 7, 2026
• Education

Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center’s (TTUHSC) School of Medicine Admissions Office team members delivered critical school supplies worth nearly $6,500 in total on Thursday, Aug. 6, to Bayless Elementary School.

The donation of dozens of boxes and crates of supplies is part of the School of Medicine’s partnership with the Joint Admission Medical Program (JAMP). Through a JAMP outreach grant, the School of Medicine Admissions Office will equip classrooms with tools Bayless’ more than 430 students need to succeed — from notebooks and markers to tissues and hand sanitizer — just in time for the new academic year.

“This is more than just donating supplies,” Felix Morales, M.D., senior associate dean of admissions at TTUHSC School of Medicine and a member and past chair of the State of Texas JAMP Council, said. “It’s a way of telling these children that they belong in spaces like ours. They can grow up to become healthcare professionals who serve their own communities.”

JAMP, an initiative funded by the state legislature, helps encourage highly qualified Texas resident students from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue careers in medicine. It is a collaborative partnership with 68 undergraduate colleges and universities and 14 Texas medical schools.

Through its JAMP outreach, TTUHSC supports local students through programs such as Middle School to Medical School and summer enrichment activities for high school and undergraduate students.

“This grant allows us to pour into our community,” Morales added. “We don’t expect anything in return. But if one of these students walks through the doors of our School of Medicine someday, we’ll know it started with moments like this.”

Bayless Elementary School Principal Brandi McKinney said the donated school supplies make a significant difference for her campus, part of Lubbock Independent School District. She noted that 95% of Bayless’ students come from low-income households.

“This is just the beginning,” Morales said. “We’ll be back. Next time, I might be bringing my white coat to talk to the kids about becoming doctors.”