Becoming a medical doctor is definitely a rewarding career to have. Individuals in this profession are often held in high regard – having the knowledge and capabilities of improving another person’s health and securing membership in affluent communities – people who don the white coat are highly respected members of society. And with sickness and disease ever-present in society, it’s definitely a necessary profession to have in any nation. The first question that comes to mind when an accident occurs is whether there’s a doctor around (the second being if a lawyer is present, but for an entirely different reason). The least opulent sub-category for physicians are those who practice family medicine. According to Payscale, family doctors make an average of $143,539 annually (statistics updated for 2012). The wealthiest path a physician can take is the one leading to plastic surgery earning $204,860 a year. But whichever direction you take, it’ll still be beneficial to obtain Medical Scholarships so as to not burden yourself with too much student loan debt. Below are a few offered by various organizations.
DAR National Society
The Daughters of the American Revolution offer a few Medical Scholarships that award $5,000 annually for the duration of their stay at medical school (up to four years; $20,000 maximum). They stipulate that no pre-med courses will be funded, and each offers differing eligibility criteria. The Irene and Daisy MacGregor Memorial Scholarship are for those attending medical school or studying to become a psychiatric nurse at the graduate level. They preference female applicants. The Dr. Francis Anthony Beneventi Medical Scholarship is available to those who maintain at least a 3.25 GPA (you must reapply each year to receive funds). And the Alice W. Rooke Scholarship is awarded to anyone studying to become a medical doctor. The deadlines for each Medical Scholarship is April 15th.
The Swaiman Medical Scholarship
From the Child Neurology Foundation comes a $3,500 Medical Scholarship to students participating in clinical research in child neurology. They will provide up to ten summer clinical research scholarships for individuals in their first and second year. This program is open to US and Canadian medical students. They also require you have a child neurologist mentor who will sponsor you during your research. The clinical research project that you submit for scholarship should adhere to the guidelines given by the program: 1) that the hypothesis be tested; 2) a description of the proposed methods; 3) goals of the project; 4) its feasibility and 5) the facilities that you’ll utilize. All information should be included in the application not exceeding two pages.
Association of American Medical Colleges
This website provides a number of helpful financial resources that medical students can take advantage of. In addition to offering career advice, providing MCAT exam tips and various initiatives, this site provides a database of Loan Repayment/Forgiveness Scholarship Programs offered across the nation. You can search by Type (scholarship or loan repayment/forgiveness) and be able to find programs that’ll help lighten the cost of attending and paying for medical school. The link can be found on this page as well as other helpful financial resources.
