Compassion in Action Award

Awarded to first-year medical students to offset living expenses while working in an underserved and disadvantaged community for a one- to two-month period, typically the summer between the first and second year of medical school. “Disadvantaged community” is defined as a developing country setting or US community that is underserved. This award is the result of a generous gift from the Paster Family Foundation.

Applicants should include a personal statement that outlines the following:

• A description of your planned experience – where you will go, for how long, and what your expected role will be
• Your personal goals for your experience
• What you expect to gain from the experience
• A letter of recommendation from someone with knowledge of their plan for work in an underserved community.

Selection Criteria:
1. Quality of their personal statement. Personal Statements should include the following:
1a. A description of the Applicant’s planned experience – where they will go, for how long, and what their expected role will be
1b. Their personal goals for the experience
1c. What they expect to gain from the experience
2. Quality of their letter of recommendation