We proudly announce Carlos Santaolaya as the 2024 recipient of the Dr. and Mrs. Roy Gregory Scholarship.
Professor Dodd Denton, Deputy Director of Students at the Ochsner Clinical School said the scholarship was established to support a senior medical student committed to pursuing a career in family medicine.
“The student also needed to display academic excellence, be dedicated to upholding the high standards of the medical profession and have a genuine love for the communities they serve, as exemplified by Dr. Gregory throughout his remarkable career.
“This year’s recipient is Carlos Santaolaya, a fourth-year UQ-Ochsner medical student who exemplifies these qualities,” Professor Denton said.
Even before applying to medical school, Carlos talked about the type of doctor that he wanted to be without realizing that he was describing family practice.
He grew up in a Spanish-speaking household in Southern California, then moved to UC Santa Cruz to obtain a BS in Human Biology.
Inspired by physicians working in public health in his college town, Carlos moved to Belgium to complete an MS in Epidemiology at the University of Antwerp.
As he has moved from one part of the world to another, he has gained extensive experience in public health, clinical research, and healthcare services and today, continues to work hard to serve his community.
Carlos is currently the president of the Family Medicine Interest Group and a co-president of UQ-Ochsner’s Habitat for Humanity group.
The Dr. and Mrs. Roy Gregory Scholarship was set up by a generous endowment from Dr. and Mrs. Roy Gregory.
Dr. Gregory practiced primary care for 37 years in Mandeville, LA, providing full-service family medicine to meet the needs of his community.
Along with his partner, Dr. Gerald Keller, this 2-person practice was the first on the north shore to join Ochsner, eventually growing into a primary care practice of 14 physicians with three locations including a “Super Clinic” in Covington.
Dr. Gregory retired from practice in 1997.