For the fourth straight year, donor-supported scholarships awarded to OUWB students will set a new high as school officials continue addressing ways to reduce debt for graduates.
According to OUWB Financial Services, a total of $350,000 will be awarded for the 2024-25 school year. The increase represents a 6% increase from the same year-ago period.
Gregory Ashe, associate director, Financial Services, said the scholarships not only help reduce student debt, but also send another message.
“It provides students with encouragement that the hard work they’re doing in medical school is paying off,” he says. “It tells the students they’re doing what they should be doing in school.”
A scholarship committee consisting of faculty, clinical faculty, and staff makes the final decision on whom will be awarded. Ashe said the members of the scholarship committee are not identified publicly.
Money for the donor-supported scholarships comes through direct contributions to OUWB or via the Corewell Health Foundation.
According to Ashe, M2s, M3s, and M4s were eligible to apply for scholarships (see box). M1s (Class of 2028) will have an opportunity during the winter semester to apply.
The scholarships mean a lot to students like Amanda Bachand, M4. She received the Drs. Neelam and Narayan Verma Scholarship for Neurosciences.
“I was surprised and honored to receive this scholarship, as there are countless other deserving students who are also pursuing neurology,” she says. “It is humbling to know that I was selected out of a pool of my truly outstanding peers, and I hope to live up to Drs. Neelam and Narayan Verma’s vision for aspiring neurologists.”
Bachand says the biggest benefit will be a reduced loan burden that is especially appreciated as she prepares for “the next big transition period of my life.”
“To the donors who make scholarships like this possible, I say thank you, thank you, thank you for your investment in the future of medicine,” she adds.
M2 Zaheen Hossain was among three students who received an OUWB Community Student Scholarship. He says his first reaction to learning he was a scholarship recipient was one of “shock.”
“I was honored that OUWB recognized my efforts growing as both a professional and someone who serves underserved communities,” he says.
Like Bachand, Hossain says the biggest benefit of receiving such a scholarship is the reduction in debt. It’s also motivating, he says, particularly regarding his commitment to helping the underserved South Asian community.
He expressed appreciation to the donors who made the scholarship possible and to OUWB “for being one of the few schools that provide generous scholarships to their students.”
Ashe expresses similar appreciation for the donors who make it possible for the school to award the scholarships.
“OUWB as a family is very appreciative of the donors who recognize these students are in need of support,” he says. “It’s immensely appreciated that they continuously donate to our students and recognize them for the work they’ve done on their way to becoming doctors.”
For more information, contact Andrew Dietderich, senior marketing specialist, OUWB, at [email protected].
To request an interview, visit the OUWB Communications & Marketing webpage.
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