The  ಌ;reports that 76 percent of American medical school students graduate with debt. This debt is not light — in 2019,🍃 the median debt post-graduation was $200,000.

Medical school is a costly investment in one's future. While it certainly provides a plethora of rewards, it can be tolling on a student along🌜 the way. 

Luckily, there are many medical school scholarships out there to help reduce the 🔯financial burden of the process. Keep reading to hear some of the best med school scholarships moving into the new year.

Medical School Scholarships

Of couꦅrse, you can use the FAFSA to apply for government financial aid when applying to medical school. This might help reduce th꧑e cost of your education with loans, grants, and other awards.

Keep in mind, though, that this is a needs-based system. This means tha🦂t those outside the parameters of greatest need may still be stuck with a large out-of-pocket investment. 

This is where other scholarship awards come into play. Many of these include membership in a club or honor society that can provide additional benefits beyond the monetary award. 

Furthermore, having this award on your resume can help prove your merit to potential employers. Th💖e sense of camaraderie from having this stamp on your record provides great networking opportunities. Simply being part of the organizations that award these scholarships for medical school can open many doors do♚wn the line.

Depending on what social, economic,꧙ and cultural groups you fit into, there are further opportunities in securing med school scholarships to help with tuition costs.

National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program

The  is one of the most 🎀inclusive opportunities for med school scholarships. But, it also carries a hefty commitment after ꦓgraduation.

Award

The NHSC scholarship can potentially cover all tuition and fees for all four years of medical school. Plus, the NHSC provid🗹es a stipend to cover living expenses.

The tuition-covering part of the award is tax-free. The stipend is ta🌳xable income.

It's important to note that although this scholarship is very generous, it comes at a cost in other ways. Students who accept an NHSC scholarship commit to working in primary care in a location designated as a health p💧rofessional shortage area.

The service oblig💯ation varies based on how many years you accept the scholarship.

If you take one year ♈of the scholarship, you owe two years of full-time service or four years of half-time service. If you take four years of the scholarship, you owe four years of full-time service or eight years of half-time sꦉervice.

Qualifications

Besides committing to the service aspect, there are a few other q🌠ualifications. 

Applicants must be a🐲 US citizen. They must be enrolled as a full-time student at an accredited school in the United States (or an American territory). Students must also be eligible for federal employment, which sometimes inclꦰudes security clearance.

Priority is given to those stꦜudents who are academically accomplished, from a disadvantaged backgr💟ound.

White Coat Investor Scholarship

The  actually switched up the structure of their scholarship beginning in 2020. Candidates shoul꧙d send in th❀eir applications online. More information about the 2021 scholarship is set to be posted in June.

Award

Instead of their typical multi-tiered system, the White Coat Investor Scholarship will only be awarding med school scholarships at two levels. There will be 10 winners, all of whom will re🐠ceive a White Coat Investor online course.

The five second-place candidates will🎃 receive a $2,000 cash award. The other five first-place candidates will split the remaining cash evenly.

Typically, the prize pool can be closer to $100,000, meaning the first-place winners can walk away with a sizeable sum to pu꧙t towards their medical school 🧸tuition.

Qualifications

To apply, candidate🦂s must submit an applicationꦗ with their biographical information. They must also submit an essay on any topic, ranging from 800 to 1200 words.

This scholarship is only open to US medical school studen🅰ts with a valid social security number. It does not apply to those with an online school background.

Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fund

The  is another example of all-inclusive scholarships for medical school. It is a competitive program, with JP Morgan Chase serving as the tru💎stee.

Award

This scholarship covers the entirety of the successful candidate's medi♏cal school tuition. It also provides a🍎n $18,000 stipend to cover living expenses.

Qualifications

This award is only opeꦐn to US citizens who attend&nꦑbsp;specific institutions. Applicants must show financial need to be considered.

To apply, applicants must request an application through the financial aid office of their academic institution. They then submit their apꦏplication through the dean of their school to be considered.

Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans

The  aims to help those who may b♓e struggling to afford medical school due to family circumstances. This scholarship provides a great opportunity for first-generation students to qualify for special med school scholarships.

Award

This awa🅘rd is one of the more generous medical school sc♕holarships for new Americans. It provides a $90,000 tuition scholarship over two years.

Qualifications

Candidates for this scholarship must be under 30 years old at the deadline. They must fit one of the two following situations:

• Born in the United States to parents who were born outside the country as non-citizens
• Born outside of the United States and were naturalized, adopted, or granted a green card/refugee status

Interested applicant𒀰s must apply o༒nline, and submit two essays of 1,000 words each.

Other Places to Seek Scholarships for Medical School 

There are further places to seek med school scholarships based on individual circumstances. Look for scholarships lo🧜cal to your state, city, and community.

There may even be scholarships for medical school if you are a member of a certain organ✱ization. These may be chuܫrches, hospitals, businesses, clubs, and nonprofit organizations.

These awards will likely be sꦬmaller than some of their national counterparts. In turn, you may have a better chance of being awarded the scholarship with less ꦑcompetition.

It's also important to look for school-spe🐭cific awards. Call the financial aid office at your academic institution and see if they have any awards available.

More Information on Med School Scholarships

It's critical to keep a good student profile to be more attractive to potential providers of med school scholarships. Getting involved within your institution is a g𒐪reat way to not only improve your resume but to become a more well-rounded student.

Medical school hono🍎r society programs are one easy way to gain access to a variety of resource🔯s. With the right qualifications, you can reap the benefits of the honor society for medical school that go far beyond monetary awards.

For more information on getting involved in honor society programs,  🃏today!