Fellow for Life Malia McDowell, who graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Optometry this year, has been selected as the first recipient of the Alabama Optometric Rural Service Scholarship, which provides $134,000 toward launching a private practice in a critically underserved rural community in Alabama.

McDowell, a native of Clarksville, TN, plans to establish an independent optometric practice at a Walmart Supercenter in Valley, AL, in Chambers County. The area has more than 34,000 residents and yet only one part-time optometrist.

“I’m very passionate about private practice,” McDowell said, and establishing a private practice in an underserved community further aligned with her values.

“There’s a big sense of like gratitude and what you’re doing matters,” McDowell said when asked why she’s passionate about working in underserved areas. “You’d better do your best. If you don’t do this service, they’re not going to get it. You being there is actually going to make a difference.”

Making a Difference

McDowell has been finding ways to make a difference most of her life. In middle school, she spent Saturday mornings at a local community center organizing fruits and vegetables to be donated to families in need. In high school, we traveled to Costa Rica and Peru to volunteer during cultural immersion trips. In optometry school, she expanded her volunteer work through the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship. As a Fellow, McDowell worked with the Community of Hope Health Clinic (CHHC), which provides healthcare to Shelby County residents living at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level and lacking insurance. During her project, McDowell not only volunteered at the clinic with the optometry team but also collected numerous sunglasses, readers, artificial tears, and frame donations for patients. She also served as a liaison between CHHC and the UAB School of Optometry, a partnership that offered free eye exams and free prescription glasses to residents.

McDowell said her ASF project reinvigorated her passion for service.

“You get busy in life, and you don’t really prioritize volunteer work,” McDowell said. “ASF taught me that I could still make time to serve my community, even though I have everything else going on around me.”

And McDowell is still busy. In fact, she recently got married. But she’s eager to build a new life in a town and build her new practice.

McDowell will use the scholarship money to cover necessary startup costs such as establishing an electronic health record system, purchasing specialty optometry equipment and scheduling software, and hiring staff.

“I’m so excited to go to Valley, Alabama,” McDowell said. “There’s a strong sense of community in the area, and people are just so grateful for the resources.”