Top 20 Medical School Scholarships for Students
Paying for med school can be a huge burden to take on. This article will help you explore scholarship options if you are planning to take the med school route.
Christy Rakoczy Bieber
Sep 08, 2021
Medical school can be very expensive. Fortunately, many scholarships for medical students provide financial assistance and reduce medical school costs.
Not sure where to start looking for med school scholarships? Consider some of these 20 options.
1. Physicians of Tomorrow Award
Amount
Physicians of Tomorrow provides a $10,000 tuition assistance scholarship.
How to Apply
The scholarship is open to students entering their final year of medical school. Students must be nominated by their school's dean and must submit a letter of recommendation, financial statement, personal statement, and transcripts. Details can be found on the AMA Foundation website.
2. Health Professions Scholarship Program
Amount
This scholarship provides full tuition for up to four years plus a $20,000 sign-on bonus, a $2,400 monthly stipend, and monthly food allowance.
How to Apply
Students must be enrolled or accepted at a U.S. or Puerto Rico school with an accredited program in a healthcare field, such as a school of medicine or osteopathy. They must make a service commitment to serve as an active duty staff physician in the U.S. military for a minimum of three years or one year for each year a scholarship was awarded. You can find out more information on the Go Army website.
3. Diverse Medical Scholars Program
Amount
Each year, a total of 38 medical school students can receive a scholarship valued at $7,000. Awards are renewable.
How to Apply
Students must be African American, LatinX, Native American, Vietnamese, or Cambodian. They must provide a resume, two letters of recommendation, and a short biography. Detailed information about applying can be found on the National Medical Fellowships website.
4. The National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program
Amount
This scholarship covers full medical school tuition and any eligible fees, and also provides a monthly stipend for living expenses.
How to Apply
Students must make a two-year service commitment in an area where there is a shortage of primary care providers. This two-year commitment is for each full year a student receives a scholarship. Students may receive scholarships for a maximum of four years. You can find out more details on the National Health Services Corps (NHSC) website.
5. Tylenol Future Care Scholarship
Amount
Each year, ten students are awarded $10,000, and 25 students are awarded $5,000.
How to Apply
Students must submit an application including an essay, college GPA, graduate and academic records, and details about their service within their communities. Eligible candidates must pursue a career that will allow them to care for patients. More details can be found at Tylenol.com.
6. Twenty-First Century Scholars Program
Amount
Each year, 30 students are awarded a scholarship for up to the full amount of tuition.
How to Apply
Students must attend UPenn medical school to be eligible. They must have a track record of outstanding academic achievement, demonstrate a commitment to outside interests, and have unique life experiences that will contribute to their future medical career. You can find details on the UPenn website.
7. Herbert W. Nickens Medical Student Scholarships
Amount
Five med students each year are awarded a $5,000 scholarship.
How to Apply
Third-year medical students can qualify for this scholarship if they are nominated by their medical school. It is open to students who have taken steps to serve the healthcare needs of underserved communities and who are working to make medical school accessible for members of these communities. More details can be found on the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) website.
8. Merit-based scholarships at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California—Los Angeles
Amount
Each year, 25% of UCLA medical school students receive a merit-based scholarship that covers full tuition and provides a living stipend.
How to Apply
Students must demonstrate the potential to make an impact in the world. No separate application is required for these merit-based scholarships as students are considered for them based on their medical school application. The UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine website provides details.
9. White Coat Investor Scholarship
Amount
Scholarship awards vary as funding is raised for the scholarship each year. Students also receive access to a White Coat Investor online course.
How to Apply
You must be enrolled in a full-time professional school and studying in a relevant field, such as medicine, dentistry, podiatry, or other healthcare professions. Applications are submitted between June 1 and August 31 each year and must include your contact and educational details and an 800 to 1200-word essay on a topic of your choosing. You can find out more information and submit your application online at the White Coat Investor website.
10. The Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fund
Amount
This scholarship covers the full cost of medical school tuition along with an $18,000 stipend to cover living expenses.
How to Apply
Applicants must attend a designated academic institution and must demonstrate financial need. An outstanding academic record is also required. Applications are distributed to eligible schools and students can obtain them from their medical school's financial aid off. Specific details about designated institutions can be found on FDNWeb.
11. The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans
Amount
The scholarship provides up to $90,000 towards tuition over a two-year period.
How to Apply
Students must have been born outside of the United States as non-citizens and must be under the age of 30 as of the time of the application deadline. The deadline to be considered for the 2022 fellowship is October 28, 2021, and students may submit their applications online. The application and full details can be found at the PD Soros website.
12. Chesapeake Urology Associates Scholarship
Amount
The Chesapeake Urology Associates Scholarship provides an annual $5,000 scholarship.
How to Apply
Students may be eligible to pursue a medical education in any field. They must demonstrate financial need and academic merit. Application details can be found on the Chesapeake Urology Associates website.
13. HRSA Scholarship for Disadvantaged Students
Amount
Students may receive up to $40,000 in scholarship funds per school year to cover tuition and reasonable living expenses.
How to Apply
Applications are open between January and March and participating schools select scholarship recipients. Students can learn more about the scholarship and eligibility requirements on the HRSA website.
14. James "Rhio" O'Connor Memorial Scholarship Fund
Amount
More than $10,000 in cash awards are available to eligible students, with a minimum cash prize of $1,000.
How to Apply
Undergraduate students at the University of Chicago can apply for the scholarship and must include a 700 to 1500-word essay detailing a plan to pursue unorthodox cancer treatments. The deadline is flexible, and applications are submitted on an ongoing basis. The University of Chicago website provides more details.
15. Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship
Amount
Each year, between 15 and 20 scholarships are awarded some students receiving $5,000 scholarships for two years and others receiving a $2,000 scholarship for one year.
How to Apply
Students must be enrolled in a qualifying graduate program such as medicine, dentistry, or pharmacy, and must show an affinity for the health of the Hispanic community. Details can be found on the National Hispanic Health Foundation website.
16. The AAHD Frederick J. Krause Scholarship on Health and Disability
Amount
Students may receive scholarships of up to $1,000.
How to Apply
Eligible undergraduate or graduate students with disabilities who are focused on fields related to disability and health are eligible. Student applicants must include a personal statement, letters of recommendation, a copy of their transcripts, and documentation of their disability. Applications are open from September 1, 2021 to March 2, 2022. More details are available on the AAHD website.
17. Alliance Medical Education Scholarship Fund (AMES)
Amount
Pennsylvania residents attending a Pennsylvania medical school can receive up to $2,500 in scholarship funds.
How to Apply
Second and third-year medical students can apply for this scholarship but must become members of the Pennsylvania Medical Society if they are awarded the funds. Detailed eligibility requirements can be found on the Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society, and applications will be accepted between January 1, 2022 and February 28, 2022.
18. Mary Ball Carrera
Amount
One annual scholarship of $2,500 is awarded.
How to Apply
Native American women enrolled at an accredited U.S. medical school are eligible. Students must be recognized for both outstanding academic achievement and community service. Applicants are accepted between June 14, 2021 and August 29, 2021 and can be completed online on the National Medical Fellowships website.
19. Chinese American Medical Society
Amount
Scholarships of up to $5,000 are available.
How to Apply
Students must be in their first, second, or third year of medical school and must be a current or pending member of the Chinese American Medical Society. They must submit a resume, application form, a letter verifying they are in good standing from the Dean of Students, and two recommendation letters. The application deadline for 2021 is closed but the scholarship runs annually. Details can be found on the CAM Society website.
20. Dr. Marie E. Zakrzewski Medical Scholarship (MA)
Amount
One annual scholarship of $3,500 is awarded each year.
How to Apply
First, second or third-year medical students are eligible. Candidates must be a woman of Polish Ancestry who is a resident of Massachusetts and who has a minimum GPA of 3.0. The scholarship deadline was March 12, 2021 for the prior academic year but the scholarship runs annually. Details can be found on the Kosciuszko Foundation website.
Finding medical school scholarships
These are just some of the many scholarships for medical students. Your school's financial aid office may be able to help you find additional options like merit scholarships, as can scholarship search engines such as FastWeb and Big Future.
Unfortunately, medical school tuition scholarships may not be sufficient to pay for school without additional aid. Federal student loans and private student loans can supplement scholarship funding, which unfortunately leads to student debt.
Juno can help you find the most affordable possible rates on private student loans. We negotiate on behalf of borrowers with partner lenders to help each medical student qualify for the best rates they can given their financial situation.
Written By
Christy Rakoczy Bieber
Christy Rakoczy Bieber is a full-time personal finance and legal writer. She is a graduate of UCLA School of Law and the University of Rochester. Christy was previously a college teacher with experience writing textbooks and serving as a subject matter expert.
