2026 AAMC Nickens Medical Student Scholarships

2026 AAMC Nickens Medical Student Scholarships

AAMC Herbert W. Nickens Medical Student Scholarships: Nominations Open

UWSOM will nominate one student for the scholarship.

Eligibility:

  • A U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or an individual granted deferred action for childhood arrivals (DACA) status
  • Entering the third year of study in an LCME-accredited U.S. medical school in Fall 2026

These awards consist of five scholarships given to outstanding students entering their third year of medical school who have shown leadership in efforts to promote equal opportunity in medical education and access to quality health care. They also should have demonstrated leadership initiative in addressing educational, societal, and health care needs for underserved populations in the United States.

Each recipient receives a $5,000 scholarship. Recipients are required to accept the award at Learn Serve Lead 2026: The AAMC Annual Meeting in Anaheim, CA Nov 6-10 (travel and registration costs covered by the AAMC).

You must utilize the absence policy below to attend:

https://education.uwmedicine.org/md-program-policies-handbook/7-2-attendance-7-absentee-policy-clinical-phases/

Students interested in being considered for nomination should email Andrea L. Walker (andrealb@uw.edu) with:

  • A brief statement explaining why they should be nominated (100–500 characters)
  • A list of leadership roles held (e.g., class or interest group officer, peer mentor, student advocate, community service, AAMC OSR, or other).

Deadline: Monday, March 9th 2026, at 12:00 PM PST.

For more information please visit: Herbert W. Nickens Medical Student Scholarships | AAMC

As an FYI, if you are selected as UWSOM’s nominee, the nomination packet is extensive:

The nomination packet must include:

  1. A nomination letter from the medical school’s dean or dean’s designee (not to exceed four double-spaced pages) stating verbatim that the candidate has maintained good academic standing throughout the first two years (“maintained good academic standing” must be stated for consideration) and discussing the nominee’s:
    • Demonstrated leadership efforts in addressing the educational, societal, and healthcare needs of underserved populations
    • Research projects, and/or extracurricular activities that demonstrate leadership abilities
    • When describing the nominee’s efforts, please indicate their specific role and if these efforts were initiated by the nominee as a new program/initiative or an expanded effort based on existing work.
  2. A letter of recommendation from the GSA Student Opportunity, Access and Retention Representative (SOAR) (not to exceed four double-spaced pages). Should the institution not have a GSA SOAR representative, the Student Affairs Representative can serve as substitute but must be noted in the online contact information section as the replacement.
  3. A letter of recommendation from a faculty member (not to exceed four double-spaced pages).
  4. A personal statement by the nominee assessing their leadership efforts in promoting equal opportunity in medical education and access to quality health care for underserved populations (not to exceed two double-spaced pages).
  5. A curriculum vitae (CV) for the nominee that includes contact information and clearly highlights awards, activities, honors, and scholarships that show commitment to promoting equal opportunity.

All letters and personal statements should be double-spaced, have one-inch margins, and be written in Times New Roman 12-point font. Nomination packets should not include hyperlinks. Hyperlinks will not be reviewed.