Other scholarships for med students

In addition to the GPSN First Wave Scholarship Program, there are numerous other scholarships and bursaries that can broaden your experience, boost your bank balance and make your CV look sharp. This list is by no means exhaustive.

Rural scholarships

John Flynn Placement Program (JFPP)

The John Flynn Placement Program offers medical students the opportunity to experience general practice in a rural community, spending eight weeks in a rural or remote practice over a number of years (usually two weeks a year over a four-year period). The scholarship covers travel and accommodation costs. Students are also provided with $500 a week during the placement to cover food and living expenses. Students are matched with an experienced rural doctor in the same community each year and are expected to finish the entire eight weeks by the last holiday period following the completion of their medical course. The Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine (ACRRM) administers the program on behalf of the Australian Government.

For further information, contact the JFPP Program Coordinator or the Support Officer at ACRRM on 1800 231 231 or email jfpp@acrrm.org.au.

Applications open and close early each year.
 

Rural Australia Medical Undergraduate Scholarship (RAMUS) Scheme

The RAMUS Scheme aims to give students from rural areas the same opportunities in medicine as their urban counterparts. It provides students from rural areas with financial assistance while they complete their medical degree. Australian citizens or permanent residents are eligible to apply for a RAMUS scholarship. They must have lived in a defined rural area in Australia for a minimum of five consecutive years or eight cumulative years from their fifth birthday up until they entered medical school. Each scholarship is worth around $10,000 per annum. Every year approximately 100 new scholarships are made available for students.

For further information, visit the National Rural Health Alliance (NRHA) at ruralhealth.org.au or call 1800 460 440.

Applications for 2012 are now open and close on 16 January 2012. 

Medical Rural Bonded Scholarships

The Medical Rural Bonded (MRB) Scholarships are offered as part of the Australian Government’s Rural Health Strategy, which aims to provide improved medical services to rural and regional communities. 100 scholarships are offered annually worth over $23,000 a year each. Students must commit to working six continuous years in rural or remote Australia after they complete their medical training. Students must also express an interest in obtaining an MRBS place with the university into which they have been accepted to complete their medical degree.

For further information regarding the application process, please contact the medical schools directly as they invite expressions of interests in different ways. Information can be found at health.gov.au/mrbscholarships or you can call 1800 248 720 or email MRBscholarships@health.gov.au.

General scholarships

Harris Fellowship Application Package

Owing to the generous establishment of the Harold and Gwenneth Harris Endowment for Medical Humanities, we are excited to offer two scholarships annually to support projects in the medical humanities. One scholarship is available to a medical student who wishes to undertake such a project. The other is unrestricted but preference will be given to an applicant from the health professions, or who is acting as a carer. In each case the successful applicant will be known as the Harris Fellow. The nature of the project undertaken is open and creative applications are encouraged. Projects could consider (or utilize as method) any creative mediums involved in the medical humanities, including poetry, creative writing, sculpture, and film-making, to name but a few. Projects may also be broadly interdisciplinary, deploying the insights of history, sociology, literary studies, anthropology, cultural studies, or alternate humanities disciplines as they relate to the practice of medicine and health care. The scholarship provides funding for project related expenses up to $2500 and its award is dependent on the quality of the applications received annually. The deadline for applications is May 31st and October 31st each year.
To be eligible applicants must be:

• a current medical student at Sydney University or;
• an applicant from the health professions and/or someone who is acting as a carer.

To be considered for this fellowship, all applicants must supply the following documents/statements to the Coordinator of Medical Humanities by COB October 31st 2011.

• A letter of introduction (no more than one page necessary) introducing the applicant. Please note that extenuating circumstances (i.e. social or financial disadvantage) that may have impeded one’s capacity to undertake this, or related, research in the past will be taken into consideration and should (where relevant) be detailed in this letter.
• A 500 – 1000 words synopsis of the project for which funding is being obtained. Applicants must include a timeline or, at the very least, an estimated date of project completion.
• Curriculum Vitae detailing any relevant experience, publications, and awards previously obtained by the applicant.
• A 300-500 word statement detailing how the proposed research project enhances the contribution of the Medical Humanities to health practice.

NB: Potential applicants are encouraged to contact the Coordinator for Medical Humanities to discuss their application prior to submission. All application documents should be scanned and emailed to the Coordinator of Medical Humanities, Dr Estelle Noonan at estelle.noonan@sydney.edu.au Hardcopy submissions will also be accepted but are not necessary. Mail to: Dr Estelle Noonan, VELIM, Sydney University, NSW, 2006.

AMSA Medical Student Bursaries

The Australian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA) offers various bursaries to assist medical students.

Check amsa.org.au for updates.

Australian Defence Force Medical Scholarships

The Australian Defence Force (ADF) sponsors students who are interested in pursuing a medical career in the Navy, Army or Air Force. The ADF covers costs involved in completing a medical education including HECS fees, tertiary institution fees, student union fees, textbook costs, a rental allowance, and full medical and dental treatment. Students are also paid a salary with superannuation included. Graduates are required to serve as a Medical Officer for the number of years they were sponsored plus an extra year.

To look for positions, visit defencejobs.gov.au.

For more information, call the ADF on 13 19 01.  

Applications are open all year.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scholarships

Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship Scheme

The Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship Scheme is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, and administered by Royal College of Nursing, Australia (RCNA). Scholarships are worth up to $7,500 per year for part time study or up to $15,000 per year for full time study and will be available for the normal duration of the course.
The scholarship provides financial assistance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are or will be studying at a TAFE (certificate IV and above) or entry level university course in the following professions:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health worker
• Allied health (excluding pharmacy)
• Dentistry/oral health
• Medicine
• Midwifery
• Nursing.

Applicants must identify as and be able to prove their Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander status. Scholarships will be awarded on the recommendation of a selection committee and will be based on how an applicant addresses the selection questions outlined in the online application.  The scheme usually opens mid-year for studies undertaken in the next academic year.

For more information contact RCNA on scholarships@rcna.org.au, free call 1800 688 628 or visit the website at www.rcna.org.au

Australian Medical Association (AMA) Indigenous Peoples’ Medical Scholarship

The Australian Medical Association also offers scholarships to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians who wish to study medicine. Students who are currently enrolled full-time at an Australian medical school and have successfully completed at least their first year in medicine are eligible to receive the scholarship. However, students currently in their first year of medicine are eligible to apply. Applicants must also be eligible for ABSTUDY. Students receive up to $9,000 worth of assistance for every year of their degree.

More information can be found on the AMA website ama.com.au.

Applications for 2012 open late in 2011 and close early in 2012.