Awards, Scholarships, and Fellowships

Application Cycle: August 1, 2025 – October 31, 2025

We at national AMWA know that the cost of joining medical school organizations can add up, so we’d like to help. Supporting your membership in national AMWA is important to us, which is why AMWA awards 10 (ten) scholarships to waive the cost of national membership in AMWA ($75.00 value per person for ALL of your years in medical  school). Awardees will be chosen based on the embodiment of the goals of AMWA. Financial need, though not a requirement, is also considered.

Membership Fee Waiver Requirements:

• Completed essay responses

Download the Application

Applications are accepted during the academic year between August 1 – October 31, 2025. Email completed applications and supplemental materials to [email protected]. Please submit all files in PDF format. Please submit applications only during the listed period. All applicants will receive email notification confirming receipt of application.

Applicants will be notified of the panel’s decision by email three weeks after the application cycle’s deadline.

What it is: The AMWA Residency Application Scholarship Fund is meant for medical students who are graduates of or plan to graduate from an LCME accredited American allopathic or osteopathic medical school and who have financial need. This scholarship is meant to ease some of the financial burden that accompanies the application process to residency programs.

Scholarship Amount: A one-time installment that will range from $250 – $500.

Application Process: Applicants will write a short essay, no more than 350 words, describing their need and why the scholarship would help alleviate that need.

Important Dates: Applications close September 30, 2025 at 11:59pm PT and notifications will go out on October 8, 2025

Scholarship Requirements:

1. Must be an AMWA Medical Student Member
2. Should be on financial aid or discuss their financial need.
3. Recipient will continue as a resident member and will update personal profile upon graduation. Membership in the residency division will be complementary for all scholarship recipients and will cover throughout the length of their training.

Repayment: This is gift that AMWA is providing to the selected applicants. Repayment of the amount received is not required. AMWA does ask that recipients consider giving back to AMWA in the future in a way that they deem appropriate when they are able.

The Linda Brodsky MD Essay Award provides participants with a unique opportunity to express their thoughts and insights through an essay that aligns with the principles and values exemplified by Dr. Linda Brodsky. It honors the women who have mentored, inspired, and encouraged young students to become physicians.  In response to a thought-provoking question prompt, participants are encouraged to delve into their own experiences, perspectives, and aspirations, allowing them to reflect on and honor the ideals upheld by this remarkable physician. Through their essays, participants have the chance to contribute to the ongoing legacy of Dr. Brodsky by exploring themes related to mentorship, cultural competence, self-awareness, and the transformative power of literature in healthcare.

Dr. Linda Brodsky was a pediatric otolaryngologist in Buffalo, NY and a lifetime member of AMWA.  She had been a role model and mentor to many physicians throughout her career.  In 2000, she became an activist for fair treatment of women physicians, after winning a lawsuit against her university and local hospital for Pay Discrimination. Through her business, WomenMDResources, she helped women physicians “get the jobs they want, the pay they deserve, and not become prisoners of their careers.”  She was co-chair of the AMWA Gender Equity Task Force with Dr. Gebhard in 2013, but passed away in February of 2014 after sustained a subdural hematoma from a fall.

Award Information:

• The winner of the contest will be presented with a $500 scholarship provided by the Linda Brodsky Memorial Fund at the Annual Meeting and will have their peer reviewed essay published as the featured essay in the next edition of AMWA’s Linda Brodsky Memorial Journal, a Medical Student Press Journal.  It is encouraged to attend the annual meeting. The winner of the contest will receive a travel grant and FREE student registration to the annual meeting (March 27-29, 2025 in San Francisco, CA).
• Select non-winning essays will also result in peer reviewed publication in the AMWA’s Linda Brodsky memorial Journal.

Requirements:

• Applications are accepted only from medical students who are active National AMWA Members

The 2024 Prompts

Please choose ONE of the following prompts to answer:

Prompt 1: Despite there being more women entering the field of medicine, there continues to be gender inequity in medicine: Female physicians still earn 90 cents for every dollar made by their male counterparts, hold fewer leadership positions, and are 5 times more likely to experience career advancement obstacles. What does Gender equity mean to you? Please share an experience of a time you served as an advocate for gender equity OR an experience in which you felt empowered by a fellow woman in medicine.

Prompt 2: One of Dr. Brodsky’s goals was to help women physicians “get the jobs they want, the pay they deserve, and not become prisoners of their careers” As the practice of medicine becomes more complex and demanding, we often struggle to find ways to integrate “work” and “life” without becoming prisoners of our careers. Please discuss what “work life integration” (WLI) means to you, the challenges you see to WLI as a woman physician, and any strategies you use now or hope to use in the future to overcome these challenges.

Application Opening Fall 2025

Email completed essay as an attached document to [email protected]. Please submit all files in PDF format.

Please keep essays under 1000 words. All applicants must be national AMWA medical student members. Please include with your essay your full name, medical school, year in school, and first year of national AMWA membership. Be sure to include a title for your essay. Please also include a professional headshot and a short bio (less than 175 words). Winning essays will articulate the applicant’s tools and strengths used to overcome adversity, as well as what was ultimately gained and learned from the experience. They will also have superior writing style in terms of grammar, organization, style and tone. The impact the experience described had on the applicant will also be evaluated. All applicants will receive email notification of receipt of application. By submitting an essay, all applicants give permission to publish their essays in the Peer Reviewed Medical Student Press Journal.

All winning essays are featured in AMWA’s Linda Brodsky Memorial Journal, courtesy of The Medical Student Press!

Congratulations to our 2024-2025 Winner!

Maya Navarro

Maya Navarro (she/her) is a second-year medical student at the Northwestern University – Feinberg School of Medicine. Hailing from the southwestern suburbs of Chicago, she graduated cum laude, in cursu honorum from New York University in 2023 where she studied Global Public Health and Biology. Now at Feinberg, Maya serves as the president of the Climate Action Group and Medical Students for Choice Vice-President of the Feinberg LGBTQ+ Alliance, and treasurer of the Latino Medical Student Association. Through both her extracurricular involvement and research efforts, Maya aims to one day bridge the gap in providing dermatologic care for underprivileged members of the Chicagoland community.

Nomination Period: September 1, 2025 – November 30, 2025

For over a decade, Eliza Lo Chin, M.D. has been an active member and driving force within AMWA. She was the President during AMWA’s 95th Anniversary Year and currently serves as the Executive Director.

Throughout the 99th Anniversary Year, Dr. Chin provided guidance, made significant contributions and acted as a mentor for many of the AMWA Student Division leaders. She often carved time out of her busy day as a mother of three children and internist to respond to emails in record time, be present on conference calls and one-on-one phone planning meetings. Dr. Chin took an interest in mentoring and encouraged students to step-up to leadership roles.

Prior to the 99th Annual Meeting, the Medical Student Division leadership elected to honor her behind-the-scenes contributions by establishing the Dr. Eliza Lo Chin Unsung Hero Award. This annual award is presented to the Premedical or Medical Student Division leader nominated by her fellow AMWA leaders that makes substantial – but unrecognized – contributions to AMWA. The award recipient will be announced during the Annual Meeting and will receive a cash award.

Award Eligibility Criteria

Eligible for nomination: National AMWA Medical Student or Premedical Student Leaders
(All student leaders are eligible for the award except the Executive Leadership: President, President-Elect, Secretary, Treasurer)

Eligible to nominate: All National AMWA leaders
(premedical student, medical student, resident, physician, committees)

Applications are accepted September 1, 2025 – November 30, 2025. To nominate an AMWA student leader (undergraduate or graduate), email the completed nomination form to [email protected]. Please submit all files in PDF format. All nominators will receive email notification of receipt of application.

Download Nomination Form

Congratulations to the 2023-2024 winners: Campbell Aiken, Vaishnavi Patel, Emily Marsico

Application Cycle: August 1, 2025 – November 30, 2025.

This award is given to recognize the AMWA Medical student branch that has made exceptional strides in their activities for the year, including recruitment efforts, service projects, and professional activities. A grant of $250 will be awarded to further branch efforts and programming. Branch presidents may self-nominate their local AMWA branches.

Email applications to [email protected].  Please attach a photo of your branch to your application. Please submit all files in PDF format.  All applicants will receive email notification of receipt of their application.

Download the Application

Congratulations to the 2024-2025 winner, the AMWA branch of University of Connecticut Medical School AMWA Chapter! 

AMWA honors the memory of Anne C. Carter, MD, with an annual award for outstanding medical student leadership. Both the individual award recipient and the nominating chapter receive funds (to be used at the chapter’s discretion). Awardees will be honored during AMWA’s Annual Meeting. The individual award recipient, as well as members of the student chapter, are strongly encouraged to attend the meeting. The chapter stipend may be used to assist in the cost of attendance.

Requirements:

• National AMWA Student Membership
• Award Nomination Form
• Personal Statement in support of nominee
• Nominee’s current CV and contact information
• Demonstrated exceptional leadership skills through vision, inspiration, innovation, and coordination of local projects that further the mission of AMWA by improving women’s health and/or supporting women in medicine
• Must be nominated by an AMWA student chapter

Please note that the current Student Division President and President-Elect are not eligible for this award.

See Full Nomination Details

Direct any questions regarding the Anne C. Carter Leadership Award to [email protected]g

2024 AMWA Award Winner

Mikayla Mefford

Submit a Nomination

Nominations are now closed.

Previous Recipients

2023 Michaela Juels
2022 Sweta Adhikary
2021 Alexandra Pincus
2020 Anna Cassell and Sara Grant
2019 Julia Festa
2018 Mollie C. Marr
2017 Lexi Shepherd
2016 Samia Osman
2015 Amanda Xi
2014 Aleena Paul
2013 Neha Deshpande
2012 Linda Wang
2011 Adrienne Clark
2010 Ashley Styczynski
2009 Misty Richards
2008 Elmira Sadeghi-Razlighi
2007 Elizabeth Shurell
2006 Katie Kupfer
2005 Susie Skaff Hagan
2004 Sarah Friedman

The Anne C. Carter Global Health Fellowship awards four AMWA medical student members with a two year fellowship focused on global health. The Carter Fellowship is both dynamic and multidisciplinary. The first year of the fellowship focuses on a global health curriculum, mentorship, and helping the fellow successfully plan the project. The second year of fellowship focuses on in-depth planning and preparation for a medical service-learning trip. The fellows selected for the 2024 – 2026 cohort will be the twelfth cohort of fellows, and will be expected to actively work with their predecessors, as well as assist the subsequent class in their transition, to provide good continuity within the Fellowship.

Each Fellow will have $1000 to fund her local project planning and to subsidize expenses for her international global health project. Fellows will not be required to travel abroad if medical school scheduling does not allow; however, all Fellows must plan a capstone project, even if the project addresses a more local global health issue. Throughout the two year tenure, Fellows will also serve as active members of the AMWA Global Health Committee.

For more information about the fellowship, please visit the Carter Fellow’s website.

Applications are accepted during the academic year between August 15th – September 15th. Access the application here and recommendation form here

Email completed applications and supplemental materials to [email protected]. Please submit applications only during the listed period. All applicants will receive email notification confirming receipt of application.

Applicants will be notified of the panel’s decision through email by October.

Travel Grants Cycle: Will open Fall 2025 for 2026 AMWA Annual Meeting

AMWA recognizes the financial assistance our medical student members may need when planning to attend our meeting. We offer extremely discounted registration prices to our medical student members. In addition, we offer travel grants to make our conference more affordable for those who have a greater cost.

APPLY

Travel grants are only available to medical student members with flat rate memberships (one fee for all years). Travel grants will be awarded in amounts of $100 per person. Please note that award winners will be chosen by lottery following the application deadline above. Confirmation via conference registration and email notification will be required to receive this award. All awardees will be required to volunteer at the conference.

AMWA welcomes students of any level to volunteer with AMWA. Interested individuals should contact [email protected]. Students who are interested in getting involved on a larger scale should consider applying for AMWA’s Service Recognition Award.

• Minimum 50 cumulative hours of service with AMWA
• Participation in a project aligned with AMWA’s mission to advance women in medicine and women’s health
• Recommendation from supervising AMWA leader

Download the Application

The Shobha S. Krishnan HPV and Cervical Cancer Award recognizes a candidate who has demonstrated exemplary interest and creativity in making a positive difference in HPV and cervical cancer prevention.

Dr. Krishnan is an active member of AMWA. She provides guidance and acts as a mentor to many AMWA medical students. She is the Founder and President of Global Initiative Against HPV and Cervical Cancer (GIAHC) and author of the national and international award-winning book The HPV Vaccine Controversy: Sex, Cancer, God and Politics (Praeger 2008)

The GIAHC Young Leaders program (45 and younger) provides a global platform for youth advocates to network and exchange knowledge regarding HPV and cervical cancer. The goal of the platform is to empower the next generation to play a proactive role in the reduction of HPV related diseases in both males and females through education, awareness building, vaccination, screening and early treatment.

The award is open to any AMWA or GIAHC member who has been actively involved in the GIAHC Young Leaders Program. Each award includes a cash gift of US $300 and a letter of appreciation. The awardee is jointly selected by the GIAHC and AMWA leadership. There is no application. Award recipients are selected from the pool of individuals who have worked directly with GIAHC and have shown tremendous interest and dedication to the cause.

For more information, contact [email protected].

2025 Award Winner

Ariana Montesdeoca, MS

Previous Recipients

2024 Elizabeth Klein

2023 Bryn Elise Vance

2022 Lori Horhor

2021 Rachel Anderson

2020 Prarthana Vasudevan

2019 Reid Mergler

2018 Shilpa Darivemula

2017 Alice E. Drain

Application Cycle 1: August 1, 2025 – September 15, 2025
Application Cycle 2: September 16, 2025 – October 31, 2025

We at national AMWA know that the cost of a medical education can be daunting, so we’d like to help. Supporting your medical education is important to us, and with this in mind, AMWA awards 4 (four) $500 scholarships to women currently enrolled in medical school. Awardees will be chosen based on the embodiment of the goals of AMWA. Financial need, though not a requirement, is also considered.

Medical Education Scholarship Requirements:

• AMWA Medical Student Membership
• Completed essay responses
• Financial information
• One letter of recommendation

Download the Application

Applications are accepted during two periods of the academic year: August 1 – September 15 and September 16- October 31. Email completed applications and supplemental materials to [email protected]. Please submit applications only during the listed periods. Please submit all files in PDF format. All applicants will receive email notification of receipt of application.

Award is not currently being offered for the 2025-2026 application cycle

The Haffizulla Family Scholarship Fund was founded by 2014 – 15 AMWA President Dr. Farzanna Haffizulla during her term of office. During her tenure on the executive board, Dr. Haffizulla founded AMWA’s Preventive Medicine Task Force in line with her fervent promotion of nationwide health, fitness and wellness. This scholarship is meant to perpetuate the involvement of young leaders in disease prevention and national health and wellness. A maximum of two scholarships each in the amount of $1,000 will be awarded by Dr. Farzanna Haffizulla or her designee during the annual AMWA awards luncheon held at the annual meeting.

Applications must be complete before submission and fall within this time frame to be considered.

To be eligible for this scholarship, you must have been actively involved in the student division of AMWA for at least 2 years and remain a member in good standing with AMWA.

Download the Application

Completed applications, CV, and letter of recommendation from an AMWA leader should be sent to [email protected]. Please include a professional headshot and a short bio (less than 175 words) with your application. Please submit all files in PDF format.

You will receive confirmation of receipt of your application.

Congratulations to the 2021-2022 winner: Stephanie Rocha 

Application Cycle: TBD

We at national AMWA know that the cost of USMLE/COMLEX test prep might be beyond a medical student’s budget, so we would like to help.  National AMWA has partnered with Lecturio and we are excited to announce that AMWA will be awarding two (2) three-month Lecturio scholarships.

Lecturio’s mission is to provide students and faculty with the best learning tools, proven effective by learning science. They understand the challenges all students face as they endeavor to master the vast amount of foundational science needed to become outstanding healthcare providers. They know that true mastery of this material and the global shortage of healthcare professionals requires a paradigm shift in how medicine is taught. In order to take on this challenge, Lecturio created a high-quality digital medical education resource, which is affordable, adaptive, and personalized. They designed their platform with the needs of learners and faculty in mind, combined with the latest state-of-the-art learning technology and comprehensive monitoring and assessment features.

The scholarships will be awarded for use towards one (1) three-month Lecturio subscription.  Awardees must be national AMWA members and will be chosen based on embodiment of the goals of AMWA. Financial need is also considered.

Lecturio Scholarship Requirements:

• AMWA Medical Student Membership
• Completed essay responses

Download the Application

Applications are accepted during two periods of the academic year: August 1 – August 31 and September 1 – September 30. Email completed applications to [email protected]. Please submit all files in PDF format. Please submit applications only during the listed periods. All applicants will receive email notification of receipt of application.

Applicants will be notified of the panel’s decision by email within four weeks after the application cycle’s deadline.

AMWA will award the Glasgow-Rubin Citation for Academic Achievement to women who graduate in the top ten percent of their medical school graduating classes. AMWA will also award a separate Certificate of Commendation for any woman who graduates first in her medical school class.

Many medical schools participate in the program with AMWA and present these certificates to women of achievement at their graduation ceremonies. AMWA receives the names of these admirable students from the administrations of participating medical schools. The awardees are at the discretion of the schools.

To participate, medical school administrators can contact AMWA Headquarters via email at [email protected].

Award Information

Created in 2008 and funded by Wyeth and Roberta Rubin, the Young Women in Science Award recognizes outstanding medical student achievement in basic science and research. These awards are given to the first through third place winners of the medical student poster presentation at the AMWA Annual Meeting. Research posters are evaluated on the basis of basic science, presentation, and commitment to an innovative and significant research project which contributes to scientific and medical knowledge. Winners are recognized at the AMWA Annual Meeting Awards Ceremony and receive prizes of $250, $150, and $100 respectively.

Please refer to the Medical Student Poster page for more information about submitting abstracts and for updates. Abstracts selected for poster presentation at the Annual Meeting will be evaluated by AMWA Judges. All submissions require approval from all authors prior to acceptance, and all accepted abstracts will be published in an online abstract booklet. Please email the Medical Student Conference Chairs with any questions.

Congratulations to the 2016 winners:

• Original Research
  • First Place: Madison Conces from Indiana University School of Medicine
    “Whole genome sequencing to identify the genetic etiology of the TIM-1 thymoma mouse model”
  • Second Place: Madeleine Manka from John Hopkins University
    “Course Director Selection of Faculty Lecturers in Undergraduate Medical Education”
  • Third Place: Rachel Ruderman from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
    “Assessing Sex-Based Cardiovascular Guidelines: Knowledge and Attitudes”
• Case Report
  • First place: Dana Jones from Indiana University School of Medicine
    “Pregnancy and an Expanding Right Breast Mass”
  • Second place: Emily Kelly from Florida Atlantic University
    “A Rare Case of Perianal Granular-Cell Tumor”
  • Third place: MacKenzie Austgen and Amber Lee from Indiana University School of Medicine
    “Too Much of a Good Thing? Two cases of excessive exercise in teenagers”

2015 Winners

• Original Research
  • First Place: Kathleen Thill from the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine – “Professional Breastfeeding Hotline Helps Nursing Mothers Continue Breastfeeding”
  • Second Place: Johanna Kreafle from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine – “Implementation of a Sustainable Patient Education Program in a Student-Run Free Clinic”
  • Third Place: Dena Abuelroos from Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine – “Gender Equality in Healthcare: A Diversity Education Series Focusing on Health Disparities in Women”
• Case Report
  • First place: Emily Mindrebo Miner & Harini Gurram from Indiana University School of Medicine – “Dying of a Broken Heart? Recurrent Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy”
  • Second place: Brooke Watanabe, Jendayi Olabisi, and Annalise Almdale from Indiana University School of Medicine – “A Stroke of Bad Luck: CVA in the Pediatric Population”
  • Third place: Irene Tsung, and Bharathi Muthusamy from Indiana University School of Medicine – “Pictorial Essay: Second Twin or Molar Pregnancy? Progression of a Uterine Mass in Early Pregnancy”