To recognize academic excellence and achievement among medical students in Puerto Rico and to inspire students to consider dedicating their careers to diabetes research and treatment, Novo Nordisk, a world leader in diabetes care, recently announced the inception of the annual Novo Nordisk Diabetes Scholarship Fund at the annual assembly of the Puerto Rican Society of Endocrinology and Diabetology.

Beginning in the 2004-2005 academic year, the Novo Nordisk Diabetes Scholarship Fund will provide a grant to selected students who attend the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine, Ponce School of Medicine, the San Juan Bautista School of Medicine and Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine. Based on selection criteria established by the individual schools, recipients of the scholarships will receive $5,000 each.

"The announcement of the scholarship fund was a gratifying moment for all of us who understand the importance of equipping today's promising medical students with resources currently needed to make a positive impact on the fight against diabetes and the future of healthcare," said Soraly Servera, MD, regional scientific director, Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

"As a graduate of both the University of Puerto Rico and the Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine, providing students with this scholarship is very important to me personally. Since I am a physician who is originally from Puerto Rico, I know first-hand about the seriousness of diabetes and how this disease is affecting our population," Servera said.

According to the Puerto Rican chapter of the American Diabetes Association, Puerto Rico suffers from one of the highest incidence rates of diabetes in the world, with more than 450,000 of its four million citizens diagnosed with the disease. Diabetes is two to three times more common in Puerto Rican adults than in non-Hispanic whites in the United States. In 2002, Puerto Rico had more than six percent of adult residents diagnosed as having diabetes and the numbers continue to grow.