Diversity Group

Diversity Scholarships & Educational Opportunities

The College of Health Professions has scholarships designed to promote a diversified health care workforce. All students are welcome to apply. The College of Health Professions does not exclude any on the basis of age, color, disability, citizenship status, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, national origin (including ancestry), parenting status, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, or any other protected category under applicable local, state, and federal law.

Carolina Perfusion Symposium Life Scholarship

This scholarship was established by the Perfusion Life company, the Clark family and supplemented by the Palmetto Perfusion Society in recognition of their steadfast passion and dedication to the perfusion profession. The company and family established this scholarship to further the University’s commitment to diversity in the healthcare workforce in efforts to improve health outcomes for diverse patient populations. To that extent, particular attention will be given to applicants who demonstrate financial need and possess any of the following attributes: first generation in their family to attend graduate school, from a rural area, service history in rural areas, and/or any other attribute that would make the candidate unique in the practice of cardiovascular perfusion in the state of South Carolina.

Requirements

  • CVP Student
  • Financial Need
  • Nominations submitted by CVP faculty only

Term awarded: Fall

Award amount: up to $1500 (2 awards given)

CHP Alumni Affairs Endowed Scholarship

This fund was established in 2021 as a gift to the College of Health Professions from the MUSC Alumni Affairs Office. The primary intent of the endowment is to further the University’s commitment to diversify the healthcare workforce. To that extent, particular attention will be given to applicants that demonstrate academic merit and financial need, and possess any of the following attributes: first generation in their family to attend graduate school, from a rural area, service history in a rural area, service history in rural areas, and/or any other attribute that would make the candidate unique in South Carolina’s healthcare workforce. The scholarship award is jointly managed by the CHP Alumni Council and the CHP Scholarship Committee.

Requirements

  • Applicants from any College of Health Professions academic program can apply
  • Financial Need
  • Academic performance
  • Submit a resume

Term awarded: Spring

Award amount: up to $2,000

Graduate Incentive Award

Offered by the MUSC Office of Student Diversity, the Graduate Incentive Award is awarded to students who are committed to practicing in South Carolina upon graduation. Students must be full-time and remain in good academic standing while receiving the award. In furtherance of the University’s commitment to improve health outcomes for diverse patient populations and establishing a diverse healthcare workforce in south Carolina, this scholarship will be awarded to a student who possesses any of the following attributes: first generation in their family to attend graduate school, from a rural area, service history in rural areas, and/or any other attribute that would make the candidate unique in South Carolina’s healthcare workforce.

Requirements

  • Enrolled full-time in a program with at least one additional semester to complete
  • US citizen
  • SC resident
  • GPA 3.0 or better
  • Financial need
  • Submit an essay on how you plan to be a positive change agent for your chosen profession to benefit South Carolinians.

Term awarded: Spring

Award amount:  up to $5,000.00

John and Sally Osborne Endowed Educational Scholarship

This fund was established by Dr. Anne Kilpatrick in memory of her parents, John and Sally Osborne, who believed in the value of education and supported all four of their own children to graduate from college. Dr. Kilpatrick is Faculty Emeritus for MUSC’s College of Health Professions and retired from the Division of Health Administration and Policy as of December 2008.

Requirements

  • DHA student
  • Academic performance
  • Submit a resume

Term Awarded: Fall

Award Amount: up to $2,000

Kim Martino Scholarship 

This fund was established by Kim’s mother, the late Dr. Marlene O’Bryant-Seabrook, and the Division of Physical Therapy, in conjunction with the Association of Black Health Professionals, now known as SDLC, (Student Diversity Leadership Council), to honor the memory of Kim O’Bryant-Martino, a beloved College of Health Professions Physical Therapy student from the May 2003 Class. This scholarship will be awarded to a student demonstrating financial need and academic merit who is enrolled in a full time College of Professions program with at least one additional semester to complete. In furtherance of the University’s commitment to diversifying the healthcare workforce and improve health outcomes for diverse patient populations, particular attention will be given to applicants that demonstrate academic merit and financial need, and possess any of the following attributes: first generation in their family to attend medical school, from a rural area, service history in rural areas, and/or any other attribute that would make the candidate unique in South Carolina’s healthcare workforce.

Criteria

  • Enrolled full-time in a program
  • Financial Need
  • Academic performance
  • Demonstrated leadership and/or community service
  • Submit a resume

Term Awarded: Spring 

Award Amount: up to $1,000

Mary Eileen Leonard Scholarship

The College and our community said goodbye to an iconic figure in the Lowcountry’s medical community, Ms. Mary Eileen Leonard, who passed away on November 9, 2016, at the age of 91.

A 1947 graduate of MUSC’s Medical Technology Program, Ms. Leonard worked at MUSC for 33 years and Roper Hospital for 22 years in the clinical laboratory departments, while also serving as a faculty member of the MUSC College of Medicine. Throughout the course of her career, she touched the lives of almost everyone who knew her, not only through her work in the lab and classroom but also through her hearty laugh, great stories and “bigger than life” personality. She continues to be an inspiration for all of us.

Her beloved family, friends and colleagues helped to establish this Scholars Program in memory of her great Legacy and to honor her life’s work and heartfelt desire to help students achieve their career dreams.

Requirements: Incoming students accepted to any CHP program. Each year, the programs will be able to select one incoming student to nominate for this award.

Term Awarded: Fall and Spring

Award amount: up to $1,500

South Carolina Area Health Education Consortium (SC AHEC) Summer Careers Academy

The SC AHEC Summer Careers Academy is presented by the SC AHEC in collaboration with the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) College of Nursing, Dental Medicine, Medicine, Health Professions, Pharmacy, MUSC Library, and the Southeastern Virtual Institute for Health Equity and Wellness. The Academy is a one-week summer program designed to help disadvantaged students prepare for entry into nursing, dental, medicine, pharmacy, physician assistant, physical therapy, and occupational therapy education training programs within South Carolina. All applicants must be a South Carolina resident or enrolled in a South Carolina school, college or university and meet other eligibility requirements.

Academy Fellows will take part in a week of clinical and didactic sessions on the campus of the Medical University of South Carolina. Classroom lectures and project topics will focus on several health disparities prevalent among South Carolinians. Housing and meals are provided and fellows will receive a stipend of $200 with the successful completion of the Academy. More information may be found by visiting the SC AHEC website at South Carolina AHEC Scholars.