Top Medical School Scholarships for Future Doctors (Updated 2025)

Three things in life are certain: death, taxes, and the high cost of medical school. Medicine is one of the most difficult (but rewarding!) careers you can pursue. Aspiring doctors invest years in education to provide top-tier care, but tuition costs can be overwhelming. That’s where medical school scholarships come in—helping students afford their education without taking on excessive debt.

The medical field is constantly evolving as new research and practices shape modern healthcare. That's one of the many reasons the medical field is so exciting— the accepted approach to healthcare is under constant reevaluation.

That also means it's imperative medical school students get the best education possible and, consequently, require more years in school than other disciplines. Unfortunately, that means a higher tuition cost for medical school.

At Bold.org, with our extensive background in student finances, we understand the financial challenges faced by medical students. Having researched the top medical school scholarship programs, like NYU Langone's tuition-free initiative, we put together a list of the best scholarships and financial aid programs for medical students.

Read on to find and apply for medical school scholarships that'll help fund your tuition, fees, and other expenses while pursuing your medical degree.

Sign up for an account with Bold.org today and access a network of resources for medical students. Choose from hundreds of exclusive scholarships and apply to the opportunities that work for you!

Best Medical School Scholarships

1. Public Health Scholarships

Healthcare workers are a necessary part of any functioning society. These public health scholarships are for nurses, doctors, physician assistants, and anyone associated with healthcare.

2. Biology Scholarships

A vast chunk of premed students choose to study biology for the obvious correlation to medicine. As a result, many medical students will be eligible for these scholarships.

3. NYU Grossman School of Medicine

One of the most well-known programs providing free medical education is NYU's Grossman School of Medicine. Thanks to generous donations and the administration's commitment to decreasing medical school tuition costs, all students who are accepted receive full-tuition scholarships.

The Grossman School of Medicine awards full-tuition scholarships regardless of students' financial need. Any student who is accepted can take advantage of the school's tuition-free initiative!

4. Columbia University Vagelos Scholarship Program

Columbia University's Vagelos Scholarship Program promises to meet 100% of students' demonstrated financial need. Unlike NYU, not all students will be given financial assistance with their tuition. Only students who show that they need help paying for med school can take advantage of this program.

Scholarships for Medical Professions

These scholarships are for specific occupations under the medical umbrella. Medical assistants, nurses, and physical therapy workers are all integral parts of the medical community. Many American medical colleges offer degrees and certifications for these professions.

1. Medical Assistant Scholarships

Medical assistants can work in many different fields and have different types of responsibilities. This flexible line of work is invaluable in ensuring patients receive care on time.

2. Nursing Scholarships

Nursing is one of the most popular areas of healthcare. One good nurse can make a patient's day by providing quality care. Experience in nursing can greatly assist with medical school.

3. Physical Therapy Scholarships

Physical therapy is an important part of healthcare that helps maintain muscle health and aids in recovery after injuries. While you may not need to attend medical school to work in this field, med students with experience in PT should apply for these scholarships.

4. Dental School Scholarships

The medical field is incredibly broad and diverse. There are several professions med students might be looking at after college, including oral health. Apply for these scholarships if you're attending medical school to become a dentist!

Regardless of what niche you're aiming for in the healthcare community, your intended profession will likely have many scholarship programs available to you. Make sure to look for scholarships specific to the occupation you want to end up in.

Scholarships by Major in Relation to Medicine

1. Chemistry Scholarships

Chemistry is a popular area of concentration and might translate well to pharmaceutical concentrations in particular. Sometimes, a more diverse education is viewed as more helpful depending on the field of medicine you choose to study!

2. Psychology Scholarships

Psychology can help set students up to work in mental health fields and provide care for those diagnosed with mental illnesses. It's also a good foundation for medical students who want to emphasize holistic care.

3. Computer Science Scholarships

Besides working in the patient-facing side of healthcare, research is also an important facet of the medical community. A degree in computer science is often viewed as an added bonus for students intending to pursue medical research alongside other medical concentrations. As research involves data analysis and statistical tools, a computer science degree can be incredibly helpful in the lab.

4. Pharmacy Scholarships

Healthcare runs on prescription drugs. Medication can drastically improve a patient's quality of living, or even save their life. If learning the functions of different drugs and how to dispense them properly appeals to you, check out the scholarships above.

Check out the full list of scholarships on Bold.org today to see if your major offers special opportunities for you!

Scholarships for Minority Students Pursuing Careers in Medicine

1. Scholarships for Minority Students

Unconscious or implicit biases in medicine continue to exist despite the best intentions of healthcare providers. Supporting medical students of all backgrounds and demographics helps combat this issue by increasing the diversity of the professional medical community overall.

2. Scholarships for Black Students

3. Asian American Student Scholarships

4. Native American Student Scholarships

Minority students attending medical school will eventually graduate and lend their voices and experiences to conversations in hospital board rooms, patient consultations, and more. Their presence in the medical field brings diversity to the experiences and ideas that shape the medical community.

Medical Scholarships for Outstanding Students

With classes like organic chemistry, the workload for med students is no joke. You'll need top grades and a stellar academic record to attend medical school or any other medical program you have your eye on. These scholarships will be good options for students with high GPAs and strong academic achievements.

1. Essay Scholarships

Essay scholarships ask med students to write about their personal goals and ambitions. The essay is the best chance you have of convincing the donor you should win money over other students, so if writing is your strong suit, definitely apply for any medical-related essay scholarships.

2. Merit-Based Scholarships

Merit scholarships award money to medical students with exceptionally good grades or test scores. Check each scholarship to see what percentile of scores will be considered, and apply if you're confident in your academic prowess.

Other Helpful Scholarships for Medical Students

1. Gap Year Scholarships

Many med students opt to take gap years in order to build their resumes, gain lab experience, and work on personal projects. These scholarships help make returning to school more financially plausible.

2. Grants to Pay Off Student Loans

Pursuing a degree in medicine will usually take much longer than acquiring a degree in other fields. These general grants will be especially helpful for medical school students as the extra years in school may result in more student loans.

3. Scholarships for Returning Students

Similar to taking a gap year, students may need to take a break for personal or financial reasons before continuing their medical school education. If that's the case, check out these scholarships for returning medical students and pick up where you left off.

4. Low-Income Scholarships

When your expected family contribution isn't very high, these low-income scholarships can help. Prepare documents to show demonstrated financial need if necessary and apply for extra funds to put towards your college tuition.

Why Medical School Scholarships Matter

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors and physicians have become even more crucial. With the need for more healthcare professionals in every hospital across America and around the world, it is crucial that medical students are not deterred from completing their degree or entering the field.

Increased Costs of Medical School

Because of the rise in prices and the competitiveness involved with medical school, it can be easy for students to get discouraged. As the volume of applicants also increases, medical school has become even more competitive in the past few years.

After the pandemic in 2020, more than two dozen schools reported a 25 percent increase in applicants. That's a hefty increase, considering the AAMC projected the expected one-year growth to be just 3%.

However, from 2022 to 2024, the rate of first-time applicants has returned to a similar rate as in 2020. This signals a recent spike in applicants to med school.

In addition to being competitive, medical school is also costly. Every year, the cost of medical school education has risen by $1,224. Since 2014, the tuition costs of attending medical school have risen by about 2.5%.

Currently, the average yearly cost of medical school is $58,986, although this price can change depending on whether you go to a public or private college.

Representation within the medical field and within medical teaching staff is crucial, so it is important that racial and ethnic minorities are able to pursue a medical education despite the rising costs of medical school. Apply for demographic-specific scholarships today!

Evolving Practices in Healthcare and Continuing Education

All professionals need to keep up with new developments in their field, but this is especially important for medical students, as keeping an eye on the best recent practices can directly affect patients. Medical school and continued education in the medical field after graduation are essential for any working professionals in healthcare.

For example, emphasis on the body-brain connection, as in Dr. van der Kolk's famous book 'The Body Keeps Score,' has changed the general perception of how psychological trauma affects physical health. His work led to an outpouring of similar research projects, underscoring the need for a holistic approach to caring for patients' mental and physical health.

These discoveries are important in understanding how medical students can contribute to the field and provide patients with the best care possible. In addition, new findings or popularized schools of thought like van der Kolk's work highlight how important a thorough education in medicine is.

Tuition costs are one reason why a medical education is so expensive. Besides classes, access to a community of medical students and professionals is also invaluable. That's because just like mental and physical health affect one another, the work of one medical professional will also affect the rest of the community.

As a result, it's essential for medical school students to receive a thorough education on previous historical practices, current policies in healthcare, and ongoing peer research. This makes medical school a long, arduous, but necessary process.

Full Scholarships for Medical Schools

NYU Langone and the Columbia University Vageolos Scholarship Program allow all or some students, respectively, to attend medical school on a full scholarship.

While these schools offer a great opportunity to avoid taking out student loans or having other financial burdens, there are other forms of scholarship support if your dream school does not offer financial assistance.

Assistance and application processes will vary depending on the school of medicine you choose to attend. There may also be different opportunities for different areas of medicine, such as particular scholarships for those looking to go into family medicine as opposed to research.

How to Apply for Scholarships for Medical School Students

1. Browse Available Scholarships

To find medical school scholarships, filter the list on Bold.org by education level in order to reduce the list to only scholarships open to graduate students. To find scholarships specifically for medical students or prospective medical students, you can also go to the "healthcare" category when browsing scholarships.

Remember to also check out any local organizations you're a part of, your university, and medical associations that may be relevant to your field of study. These organizations will often offer single scholarships as well, which might not appear online.

2. Check Eligibility Requirements

When applying for medical school scholarships, always read through the descriptions and eligibility requirements to determine which scholarships you're qualified for so that you don't waste time and effort.

Most scholarships are exclusively open to current students who are pursuing a medical degree and need help with tuition costs. However, some scholarships are also available to graduates who have student debt, such as undergraduate loans.

3. Begin the Application Process

Once you've found a scholarship that suits you, you can start applying. When applying for medical school scholarships on Bold.org, create your free Bold.org profile first. Once your profile is complete, you can begin to apply for scholarships.

Some scholarships only require applicants to have a complete profile, but many require an additional essay or submission in order to apply. Documents like letters of recommendation, transcripts, and more may also be required—make sure to prepare those ahead of time so you don't submit late.

4. Write a Heartfelt Essay

If you are a strong writer or have a unique story, an essay can be a great way to make your application stand out. Once you have completed your profile and/or write your essay, applying for scholarships only requires a few clicks.

To make the most of your essay, be sure to stick to the prompt, include detail and personality, and include a powerful opening and conclusion. Always be sure to proofread written work before submitting your application!

5. Stay Positive!

Finally, don't get discouraged if you don't win every scholarship you apply for. Many students are looking for financial aid to fund their higher education, so it's unlikely that you'll win every scholarship you apply for.

Tips for Applying for Medical School Scholarships

Scholarships will always require a little bit of luck— these opportunities are, like medical school, very competitive. However, there are certain things you can do to boost your chances of winning.

Look for Niche Scholarships

You can use the filter features available on Bold.org to find scholarships specific to your identity, goals, experiences, or fields of interest. The more eligibility requirements a scholarship has, the fewer eligible applicants there will be.

By finding scholarships for your specific demographic or scholarships that cater to your talents, such as athleticism or specific academic achievement, you can increase your chances of winning scholarship money.

Shoot Your Shot at Full Rides

Medicine is one of the fields that provides the most quantifiable positive impact on society. As a result, it's in everyone's best interest that programs exist to support medical students and incentivize educating healthcare providers. That's why several initiatives aim to award free tuition to med students.

Most universities will offer some kind of financial aid for accepted students. This could be merit-based or need-based. For merit-based opportunities, students with high grades and strong academic achievement will be considered regardless of financial need.

For need-based opportunities, only students who show they aren't able to pay for school on their own will be considered. Every university will have a different cutoff for what constitutes demonstrated financial need, so be sure to check with the financial aid office for what kind of aid is offered at your school specifically.

Depending on the kind of school you're looking for, there are plenty of options for medical schools with numerous scholarships or free tuition. Sometimes schools offer service commitment programs, which involve making a promise to the school. This may be a promise to work at a certain hospital after school, participate in the National Health Service Corps, or give back in another way.

Additional Resources for Medical School Students

1. Association of American Medical Colleges

The AAMC provides a variety of resources for medical students, from med school application guides to standardized test resources. There are also opportunities for students to connect with mentors and explore employment opportunities.

2. Summer Health Professions Education Program

The SHPEP is a summer program for students looking to explore different fields of professional medicine. Applicants can apply to the program for medicine, dentistry, nursing, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, public health, and more.

Twelve partnering institutions will offer placements for accepted students, where they can receive hands-on training and gain experience in their chosen fields through clinical exposure and networking opportunities.

3. Osmosis

This online learning platform features concise and informative video lectures, flashcards, and more resources to help med students study. Board-style questions help students prepare for medical exams and standardized tests, while decision-making trees foster clinical reasoning.

Bold.org users can also access a wealth of student how-to guides on finances, standardized tests, and more, all available on our scholarship blog.