The importance of producing qualified doctors and medical researchers is recognized the world over. And this acknowledgement is one of the reasons for the widespread availability of graduate scholarships for medical students, offered at medical schools around the globe.
At undergraduate level, medical school scholarships are less common. However, there are still a number of opportunities for students to gain funding for a first degree in health and medical subjects, covering a range of program types. Whatever your area of focus – from tropical medicine to hereditary disease – make sure you check for potential scholarship opportunities.
Here are some examples of the types of medical scholarships on offer at all degree levels around the world.https://21f87ce4f99fecef8572088245da9b5d.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html
If you’re looking for scholarships to study nursing, these can be found here. We also have a list of veterinary scholarships.
To study in Australia or New Zealand
To study in North America
- AMA Minority Scholars Award – Medical scholarships for underrepresented students studying medicine in the US. Eligible students include African-Americans, Alaskan Natives, American Indians, Hispanics and Native Hawaiians.
- American College of Surgeons International Guest Scholarships – International scholarships for graduates aged 35-50 who are interested in medical teaching or research, to study and undertake research in the US.
- AMWA Awards – The American Medical Women’s Association funds medical school scholarships and fellowships on offer to all AMWA student members.
- ASCP Siemens Scholarships – A range of medical school scholarships for graduate medical technologists, technicians and scientists to study in the US at selected medical schools.
- ASME Grants and Fellowships – Various international scholarships for medical students, teachers and researchers to continue their medical education in the US and outside.
- Edith SeVille Coale Scholarships – Scholarships for women in their third year of medical school studying in the US at one of four medical schools near Washington DC, including Johns Hopkins University’s School of Medicine.
- Harvard Medical School – Available medical scholarships include the Emirates Cardiac Society Scholarships, in which priority is given to students from the United Arab Emirates.
- University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine Awards – Doctoral scholarships for students enrolled in the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program at the University of Calgary in Canada.
- US Army Health Professions Scholarship Program – The US army will pay 100% of the tuition for a graduate-level healthcare degree for any accredited medical, dental, veterinary, psychology or optometry program in the US or Puerto Rico. For US residents only.
- UCLA David Geffen Medical Scholarships – Merit-based scholarships for students (including international students) entering the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Provides financial support covering 100 percent of the four-year cost of attending medical school – including tuition, accommodation and other expenses.
- United Health Foundation/NMF Diverse Medical Scholars Program – 32 awards of $7,000 are available to medical students who identify with a minority group, are US citizens, and are currently enrolled in medical school.
- The Recovery Village Health Care Scholarship – A $1,000 award is available for a US student or permanent resident who is pursuing a medical-related program. To apply, you’ll need to submit an essay describing why you’re passionate about health care, with a focus on substance abuse and mental health.
- Tylenol Future Care Scholarship – 10 awards of $10,000 and 30 awards of $5,000 are available for students seeking careers in healthcare. You can be studying at undergraduate or graduate level and must be a US or Puerto Rican citizen to apply.
To study in Europe
To study in the UK:
List of general medical school scholarships
Below, we’ve listed medical school scholarships that are generally available to most medical school students or are available to a variety of minority and underserved populations (scholarships aimed towards specific populations are listed in the next section).
Nevertheless, many scholarships require applicants to meet certain criteria, such as demonstrating interest in serving a specific community or holding a particular citizenship or residency status. We encourage you to read through each scholarship and its corresponding website carefully to determine if you meet the eligibility requirements.
AAMC Herbert W. Nickens Medical Student Scholarships
- Dollar amount: $5,000
- Application process: Students must be nominated by their medical school. Medical schools can nominate one student a year. After nomination a student must provide a number of application materials: a full checklist can be found here.
- Eligibility: This scholarship is for students entering their third year of medical school who have “shown leadership in efforts to eliminate inequities in medical education and health care. They also should have demonstrated leadership initiative in addressing educational, societal, and health care needs of racial and ethnic minorities in the United States.” Applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or DACA recipients.
American Medical Women’s Association Scholarships
- Dollar amount: Various
- Application process: Online application.
- Eligibility: Varies for different specific scholarships. Here’s a full list of the different fellowships and scholarships awarded by AMWA. They range from offering assistance for travel abroad to awards for poster presentations.
The Brown Medical and Educational Society Healthcare Scholarships
- Dollar amount: Unknown
- Application process: Physical application must be mailed.
- Eligibility: Must be an undergraduate or graduate student attending an U.S. four-year college or university pursuing a degree in healthcare (medical, nursing, allied health, etc.). Must be Black/African American, Native American/American Indian, Hispanic/Latin American, or Asian/Pacific Islander. U.S. citizenship is required. Applicant must have a cumulative equivalent GPA of 2.5 or higher on a 4 point scale.
Chinese American Medical Society Scholarships
- Dollar amount: $5,000
- Application process: Email application, including a letter from your school’s dean verifying your good academic standing; full details can be found here.
- Eligibility: First, second, and third year medical or dental students. Applicants must be current or pending CAMS Student members.
Chinese American Physicians Society Scholarships
- Dollar amount: $3,000–5,000
- Application process: Online application available here
- Eligibility: The fellowship is open to any student of any race/ethnicity. “Special credit” will be given to those with an interest in serving Chinese American communities post-graduation.
Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fund
- Dollar amount: Tuition coverage and an $18,000 living expenses stipend
- Application process: Students must request an application through their school’s financial aid office. Applications must be submitted through the dean of the school the student is attending.
- Eligibility: Students must be U.S. citizens attending one of the fellowship’s designated institutions. You can find a list of institutions here.
The Hispanic Health Professional Student Scholarship
- Dollar amount: Varies
- Application process: Online application; full requirements listed here.
- Eligibility: Applicants are not required to be Hispanic, but an “affinity for the health of Hispanic communities and an interest in participating in NHHF Scholars Alumni activities is required.” In addition, applicants must be premier members of the National Hispanic Medical Association and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. U.S. permanent residents, citizens, and DACA recipients are eligible.
Japanese Medical Society of America
- Dollar amount: Not currently listed, but in the past awards have ranged from $2,500–$12,000
- Application process: Online application form, available here, including a proposal for a project that supports the mission of the JMSA. Examples of past projects include “a service to connect elderly Japanese patients with health care” and “a medical blog in Japanese detailing the experiences of a medical student in America.”
- Eligibility: Applicants must be JMSA members and must either be currently enrolled in a healthcare-related graduate school or be a postgraduate medical professional who is in training, such as a resident, fellow, or postdoc.
Joseph Collins Foundation Fellowships
- Dollar amount: $10,000
- Application process: Institutions must request an application and students must fill it out.
- Eligibility: Students must have a variety of interests, and evidence of having pursued those interests, outside the medical field. Examples include involvement in arts and literature, theatre, or other “cultural pursuits.” They must be attending a college east of the Mississippi, ranked in the top half of their class, and planning to specialize in neurology, psychiatry, or general practice. For more information about the fellowship, you can see its listing here (which also includes a variety of scholarships for students in the state of North Carolina and for students interested in particular specialties).
Leopold Schepp Foundation Scholarship
- Dollar amount: Up to $9,000
- Application process: Mail in a request for a formal application. If your request is approved, you will be sent a formal application. You can find a full explanation of the application process here.
- Eligibility: The scholarship website notes that the Foundation grants fewer applications to students in professional school than they do to other graduate students. Applicants must be younger than 40, have “a minimum 3.3 GPA on a 4.0 scale,” and be citizens or permanent residents of the U.S.
MPOWER Global Citizenship Scholarship
- Dollar amount: $1,000–$5,000
- Application process: Online application.
- Eligibility: International students who are legally permitted to study in the U.S. or Canada are eligible (includes DACA recipients and Green Card holders). Not specific to medicine; applicants will be in a pool with students in many different fields.
The National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program
- Dollar amount: Tuition and fees coverage for up to four years
- Application process: Online application; full details can be found here.
- Eligibility: Students must be training in preparation to enter primary care health professions and be willing to work in underserved areas after graduation. Students must be U.S. citizens or nationals and eligible for federal employment. Full eligibility requirements can be found here.
National Medical Fellowships
- Dollar amount: Various
- Application process: Online application. Application processes may vary by specific scholarship: see website for full details. Awards range from offering support for students pursuing rural healthcare to ophthalmology.
- Eligibility: Students must be an underrepresented minority in medicine (see the NMF website for full list). Students also must be U.S. citizens or have DACA documentation, and must be enrolled in a graduate-level U.S. healthcare program.
The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans
- Dollar amount: $90,000 over two years
- Application process: Online application; full details can be found here.
- Eligibility: Students must be under 30 years old and be the child of parents born outside of the U.S as non-U.S. citizens. Not specific to medicine; applicants will be in a pool with students in many different graduate fields.
Physicians of Tomorrow Awards
- Dollar amount: $10,000
- Application process: Students must be nominated by their medical school.
- Eligibility: Third-year med students (the fellowship is for students in their final year) who fit one of the 10 different sub-categories. Many of the categories are based on region (e.g. med students in the New York area), identity group (e.g. African American cardiologists), or academic interests (e.g. students interested in children’s health). A full list of subcategories can be found here.
Pisacano Scholars Leadership Program
- Dollar amount: Debt reimbursement: up to $28,000
- Application process: Physical application must be mailed.
- Eligibility: Students must be entering their fourth year in medical school and must have declared family medicine as their specialty.
Point Foundation Scholarships
- Dollar amount: Unknown
- Application process: Apply online.
- Eligibility: Students must be “‘out’ as a person who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ community,” and enrolled as a full-time student in the U.S. Citizens of any country are eligible. A full list of eligibility requirements can be found here.
Tylenol Future Care Scholarship
- Dollar amount: $5,000–10,000
- Application process: Online application. Full details and application FAQs can be reviewed here.
- Eligibility: Students with at least one year of school remaining, who are U.S. residents and who are or will be enrolled in a graduate program in medical school, nursing, and/or pharmacy.
United Health Foundation/NMF Diverse Medical Scholars Program
- Dollar amount: $7,000 (renewable)
- Application process: Online application; an application checklist can be found here.
- Eligibility: 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year medical students may apply. Students must identify as “African American, Latino, Native American, or Asian American (Vietnamese and Cambodian only).” Applicants must also be U.S. citizens or provide DACA documentation, and show “[c]ommitment to serving medically underserved communities.” Full eligibility requirements here.
Wellesley College M.A. Cartland Shackford Medical Fellowship
- Dollar amount: Up to $11,000
- Application process: Email application; instructions can be found here.
- Eligibility: Women of any nationality who have graduated from any American college or university are eligible to apply. Applicants must be interested in general medical practice, not psychiatry.
The White Coat Investor Scholarship
- Dollar amount: The scholarship awards upwards of $70,000, split among ten students. Five Grand Prize Winners receive an equal split of award money and five Runner-Up Winners receive $2,000 each. All winners also receive a White Coat Investor online course.
- Application process: Online application, including an 800–1200 word essay on a topic of your choice.
- Eligibility: Students cannot come from an online school background and must be enrolled full-time in a medical school or other professional program (law, dentistry, pharmacy, and others). While schools must be located in the U.S., students of any citizenship appear to be eligible.
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List of medical school scholarships for specific populations
In addition to the general scholarships listed above, there’s also a plethora of options open to students who affiliate with specific cultural, ethnic, racial, religious, and cultural identity groups. Here’s a quick list of additional scholarships that you may qualify for:
There are also many scholarships available for students based on their hometown, home state, or state in which they attend school or plan to practice. Brown University keeps a great database for medical school scholarships with regional and specialty affiliation. They also catalogue a number of additional scholarships in the ethnic/religious/cultural affiliation category.