AMA Indigenous Medical Scholarship

Overview

College

College of Medicine and Public Health

Opening date

06-11-2023

Closing date

31-01-2024

Scholarship value

$11,000 per annum

Scholarship duration

Payment term

One off payment

Enrolment status

Commencing

Student type

Indigenous students

Description

The AMA recognises the critical importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors in contributing to better health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Established in 1994, the AMA Indigenous Medical Scholarship contributes to growing the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors by supporting First Nations people who are studying a medical degree at an Australian university.

The Scholarship targets Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander medical students who demonstrate a commitment to their community and to medicine, and who may not have the financial means to realise their dream.

Benefits

The value of the Scholarship is $11,000 per annum, which is paid in a lump sum. The Scholarship is awarded for the full course of study of a medical degree, subject to satisfactory academic progress and continued full-time enrolment.

The Scholarship is tenable for each year of medicine that the recipient successfully completes.

It is the responsibility of applicants to seek advice from Centrelink on how the Scholarship payment may affect ABSTUDY or any other government payment.

Eligibility

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who are currently studying medicine can apply.

Applicants must be enrolled full-time in a medical degree at an Australian university and have successfully completed at least their first year of medicine.

For the purposes of this Scholarship, an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person is someone who:

is of Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent;
who identifies as an Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person; and
is accepted as such by the community in which he or she lives or has lived.

Applicants must provide an official letter from an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community organisation to support their claim.

Selection Criteria

The Scholarship will be awarded on the recommendation of a selection panel drawn from the AMA-AIDA Taskforce on Indigenous Health. Selection of the Scholarship recipient will be based on:

a 500-word statement answering the following topics:
1. The statement provided by the applicant clearly articulates their aspirations and purpose for studying.
2. The statement provided by the applicant thoughtfully describes the use(s) to which they hope to put their medical training.
3. The statement provided by the applicant adequately explains the way in which the scholarship finances would be used by the applicant to aide their study.
4. The statement provided by the applicant explicitly articulates how the applicant's previous experiences will inform and enrich their future practice of medicine.
5. The applicant demonstrates a strong commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and health.
reports from referees familiar to the applicant, giving strong evidence of the applicants' contributions, community connection, and future potential.