The Washington Academy of Family Physicians Foundation in partnership with the staff of the Department of Family Medicine and UW Development, fully funded its Endowed Family Medicine Scholarship in 2008.
The scholarship program will launch in the fall of 2009 and will make scholarships available to 4th year medical students interested in matching in Family Medicine. The goal is to provide assistance to UW medical students who might otherwise be discouraged from choosing careers in Family Medicine or choosing to practice in the areas of greatest need.The scholarship fund will be administered by the University, and selection of scholarship recipients will be the responsibility of the Dean of Medicine, with input from the faculty and the Foundation. The criteria will be demonstrated financial need, a commitment to Family Medicine, interest in rural and underserved medicine and academic merit. The number of scholarships awarded will be dependent on the funding available.WAFP Foundation President, Kevin Murray, MD, said “We believe that programs like this are important to achieving one of the Academy’s strategic goals, improving the practice of Family Medicine, particularly in rural and underserved areas. By facilitating the careers of future family physicians we will contribute to improving the “pipeline” of capable and committed students, and ultimately improve the quality of care to patients throughout the state.”