Local Scholarships Worth $25,000 Each Up For Grabs

BAY AREA — An extra $25,000 in scholarship money would go a long way toward putting a student through college. The Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) plans to award several scholarships, each one valued at $25,000. The money will go to outstanding local high school students who plan to attend a four-year college and pursue careers as doctors. Students in just five counties are eligible: Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz. The scholarships will be paid over a five year period.

Hurry - the deadline to apply is April 13.

Is it worth the effort? Patch has been told that they have not received as many applications as they had hoped - so your chances of scoring a scholarship are excellent!

High school students with the following qualifications are eligible to apply for the scholarships:

• Student plans to become a doctor and selects a college major that will prepare him or her for this career
• GPA in top 20% of class (verified by transcript)
• Demonstrated need for financial assistance to attend a four year college or university (verified by FAFSA, SAR, and parent’s tax returns. Apply anyway - the definition of "need" may be higher than you expect.)
• Applicants must live in the areas served by PAMF which include San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

The application is online, so apply now. Have the following items ready:

• 1,000 word essay discussing student’s interest in the field of medicine, student’s background and life experiences, and need for financial assistance.
• A statement of support from student’s college guidance counselor.
• High school transcript
• FAFSA, SAR, and parent’s tax return
• SAT and ACT test scores

If you have any questions, contact Dr. Rebecca Leon at leonr@pamf.org or by phone at 650-853-2977.

PAMF was founded in 1930 and includes 1,400 affiliated physicians and 6,100 employees that serve one million patients. The scholarships are supported by PAMF physicians.

Patch was originally told that 60 scholarships would be given out this year. However, the person who provided the information now says that 60 have been given out since the inception of the scholarship. The number to be awarded this year is four or five. Patch regrets the error.

—Image by Brian A. Jackson, Shutterstock