SCHOLARSHIPS

STFM Foundation Student Scholarship

The STFM Foundation supports scholarships for medical students to attend the STFM Conference on Medical Student Education and present their work to hundreds of family medicine educators.

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Overview of the STFM Foundation Student Scholarship

Nominate a medical student who has an interest in family medicine and the potential for an academic career to be an STFM Foundation Student Scholar. Scholarship winners receive up to $500 to cover travel expenses to attend the STFM Conference on Medical Student Education, and free conference registration.Thanks to generous support from donors, the STFM Foundation is able to provide additional mentoring and scholarship opportunities. Additional scholarships are available for those who have faced significant challenges, limitations, or obstacles in their journey to a career in medicine.

  • Students must be nominated by faculty.
  • Nominated students must have an interest in family medicine and potential for an academic career.
  • By nominating a student, the family medicine department or school commits to matching the $500 STFM award. The American Academy of Family Physicians will support one target school student with up to $1000 in travel and lodging. STFM will provide that student with a free registration to the Conference on Medical Student Education. Target schools are defined as those that don't have a department of family medicine.

Applying for the STFM Foundation Student Scholarship

The nominations and application deadline has passed for the 2025–2026 class. The nomination and application process begins in spring each year.There are two parts to the application process for the STFM Foundation Student Scholarship. First, medical students must be nominated by a faculty from their institution's family medicine department. Following their nomination, students must submit their application and other information to STFM.See the full process below. STFM Foundation Student Scholarship recipients for each class are notified by August.

Instructions for Faculty Nominating a Student

  • Completed nomination form, including letter of support (link will be available when nominations/applications open)
  • Nominators must notify students to submit a poster abstract and personal statement for the STFM Conference on Medical Student Education.

Instructions for Nominated Students

Nominated students submit their poster abstract and a personal statement through the STFM Conference on Medical Student Education submission website (look for the category labeled "Student Scholar Nominee poster" in the dropdown menu).Note: Students must submit their own independent poster presentation as the lead presenter in this category. Co-presenters are allowed, but students cannot submit this poster in any other category.

Details and Benefits of the STFM Foundation Student Scholarship

Presenting at a National Conference

Recipients are named STFM Foundation Student Scholars and present their posters at the STFM Conference on Medical Student Education.

Financial Support for Students to Attend Conference

The STFM Foundation supports scholarships of $500 each for students to attend the STFM Conference on Medical Student Education. Additional scholarships are available for those who have faced significant challenges, limitations, or obstacles in their journey to a career in medicine.

Financial Support From Institution

The student's nominating department or school provides travel support up to $500 for each nominee to attend the conference.

AAFP Support for Target School Student

The American Academy of Family Physicians supports one target school student with up to $1000 in travel and lodging. STFM provides that student with a free registration to the STFM Conference on Medical Student Education. Target schools are defined as those that don't have a department of family medicine.

Want to Support the STFM Foundation Student Scholarship?

Your contributions to the STFM Foundation provide an opportunity for promising medical students to attend the Conference on Medical Student Education.

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Past Scholarship Recipients

2022–2026
2018–2021
2014–2017
2009–2013

2022–2026 Scholars

2026 Scholars

  • Gergana Alteva, Oregon Health & Science University
  • Peyton Boyd, University of Colorado
  • Christian Cepeda, University of California
  • Marí a del Mar Fletcher Ruiz, University of Missouri
  • Melfry Gonzalez Andujar, University of South Carolina
  • Mike Mayer, Stanford University
  • Kate McGough, University of Missouri
  • Angelica Mendez, University of Southern California
  • Scott Orlov, Thomas Jefferson University
  • Shivani Patel, MPH, Augusta University/University of Georgia
  • Maddy Pesch, University of Minnesota
  • Benjamin Popokh, University of Texas Southwestern
  • Alia Richardson, University of Chicago
  • Ana Torres Rivera, Georgetown University
  • Anna Trofimoff, University of Kansas
  • Allen Tsai, University of Rochester
  • S Herschel Uchitel, University of California
  • Alexa Weber, Medical College of Wisconsin
  • Shamiso West, University of South Carolina
  • Korynn Wolcott, University of Texas

2025 Scholars

  • Kelvin Alvarez, University of Southern California
  • Orion Battaglia, University of Kansas-Wichita
  • Melika Behrooz, Hackensack Meridian (New Jersey)
  • Samantha Busch, University of Wisconsin
  • Elana Cohen, State University of New York
  • Saachi Datta, Stanford University (California)
  • Khushwant Dhaliwal, Kaiser Permanente (California)
  • Abbey Fischer-Michel, University of Kansas-Wichita
  • Carina Goodart, Texas Tech University
  • Anya Gupta, Georgetown University (Washington, D.C.)
  • Jennifer Marino, University of Massachusetts
  • Madison Martz, University of Colorado 
  • Erick Masias, Northwestern University (Chicago, IL)
  • Katie McLaughlin, JD, University of Minnesota
  • Krupa Modi, University of Southern California
  • Caroline Murtagh, Stanford University (California)
  • Hannah Soczka, Medical College of Wisconsin
  • Hiab Teshome, University of Michigan
  • Ariana Vajdi, Kaiser Permanente (California)
  • Asia-La’Rae Walker, Campbell University (North Carolina)

2024 Scholars

  • Georgette Adae-Mensah, University of South Carolina, Greenville
  • Ren Bruguera, University of California, Davis
  • Joel Burt-Miller, MPH, MS, University of South Carolina, Greenville
  • Kailey Christman, Northeast Ohio Medical University
  • Haley Daigle, Medical College of Wisconsin
  • Kendall Dean, University of South Carolina, Greenville
  • Alexis Geich, Medical College of Wisconsin
  • Bennett Gosiker, Kaiser Permanente, CA
  • Haley Hirth, University of South Carolina, Greenville
  • Tala Khalefa, Virginia Commonwealth University
  • Jonathan Lu, Stanford University, CA
  • Kelly McGuigan, Thomas Jefferson University, PA
  • Shakira Meltan, Texas Tech University, Lubbock
  • Ryan Morris, Quinnipiac University
  • Caroline Murtagh, Stanford University, CA
  • Mai Nojima, Kaiser Permanente, CA
  • Mackenzie Palmer, University of Rochester, NY
  • Margarita Ramirez Silva, MPH, Stanford University, CA
  • Lauren Schutz, University of Arizona, Phoenix
  • Zachary Taylor, University of South Carolina, Greenville
  • Prasanna Vankina, University of Minnesota
  • Heami Yi, University of Colorado

2023 Scholars

  • Aviva Aguilar, Northeast Ohio Medical University
  • Janani ,Arangan, Quinnipiac University
  • Sarah Beaverson, Virginia Commonwealth University
  • Sarah Byron, University of Washington
  • José  Manuel Carrillo-Castro, Oregon Health & Science University
  • Mark Carter, University of Nebraska
  • John Chancellor, Emory University
  • Rebecca Chen, Baylor College of Medicine,
  • Neil Dixit, Medical College of Wisconsin
  • Samantha Driscoll, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio
  • Lauren Gilbert, Central Michigan University
  • Alexandra Greenberg, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
  • Medha Gudavalli, University of Colorado
  • Lucas  Hastings, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio
  • Carson Herron, Florida Atlantic University
  • Aishwarya Iyer, MPH, University of Texas, Southwestern
  • Elise Kao, University of South Carolina
  • Alayna Kelly, Florida Atlantic University
  • Charles Lane, Emory University
  • Lakai Legg, Stanford University
  • Genevieve,  Mulligan University of Michigan
  • Allison (Al) Ogawa, University of Rochester
  • Addison Robles, Florida International University
  • Valentina Sedlacek, University of Rochester
  • Ksenia Varlyguina, Pennsylvania State University
  • DanTasia Welch, Florida State University
  • Harrison Woods, Texas Tech University

2022 Scholars

  • Alejandro Enrique Bolivar, Indiana University
  • Adam Corya, Indiana University
  • Cindy Jiao, University of Rochester
  • Garrett Kneese, University of Texas, San Antonio
  • Riyana Lalani, MPH, Florida Atlantic University
  • Andrea Leff, ENS, Uniformed Services University
  • Andrew Matsushita, Northeast Ohio Medical University
  • Nathaniel F. Meyer, Tufts University
  • Diana M. Ottulich, USN, ENS, Uniformed Services University
  • Juan C. Oves Jr., MPH, Florida International University
  • Jessica Quinn, University of Michigan
  • Celeste Rousseau, University of Florida, Gainesville
  • Christina Stamatiou Florida Atlantic University
  • Sarah Steffen, Medical College of Wisconsin
  • Brian Talbot, Albany Medical College
  • Jenny Tiskus, Stanford University
  • Morgan Weiler, University of Kansas, Wichita
  • Lauren Wintraub  University of Toronto

2018–2021 Scholars

2021 Scholars

  • Brittany Bear, Washington State University
  • Anthony Betteridge, Texas Tech University
  • Echo Buffalo, Medical University of South Carolina
  • Mary Buswell, University of Rochester
  • Catherine Carragee, University College Dublin
  • Courtney Cowell, Uniformed Services University
  • Alexis Cruz, Texas Tech University
  • Michael Dacre, Stanford University
  • Samantha Driscoll, University of Texas, San Antonio
  • Katelyn Edel, Penn State University
  • Adaeze Jennifer Ezeofor, Howard University 
  • Andrea Fowle, Texas Tech University
  • Ligia Fragoso, Brown University
  • Daniel Gonzalez, Harvard University
  • Suzette Guzman, University of Chicago
  • Timothy Huang, Rush University
  • Garrett Kneese, University of Texas, San Antonio
  • Jonathan Lu, Stanford University
  • Katherine McDaniel, Harvard University
  •  Jasmine Mckissick, University of Arkansas
  • Thomas Newlin, Florida International University
  • Bradley Pfeiffer, Creighton University
  • Stacy Philip, Texas Tech University
  • Maya Prabhu, Wright State University
  • Richard Whitten Sapp, Stanford University
  • Karol Serafin, Boston University
  • Cassie Stanzler, Tufts University
  • Andrew Stephens, University of Utah
  • Whitney Stolnicki, Northeast Ohio Medical University
  • Caitlin Weiss, Thomas Jefferson University
  • Lindsey Wells, Emory University
  • Michelle Wilson, Florida Atlantic University
  • Kenneth Wise, Uniformed Services University
  • Florence Xiong, Florida Atlantic University
  • Bright Zhou, Stanford University

2020 Scholars

  • Nicole Abeyta, University of New Mexico
  • Christine Adams, Florida Atlantic University
  • Amity Calvin, Oregon Health & Science University
  • Jaime Carrillo Texas Tech University HSC, El Paso
  • Catherine Harmer, University of Rochester
  • Brandon Herndon, University of Florida
  • Phoebe Hughes, Florida International University
  • Giovana Jaen, Florida Atlantic University
  • Avanthi Jayaweera, Virginia Commonwealth University
  • Carson Klein, The University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa
  • Kyle Lau, University of Minnesota
  • George Matar, Central Michigan University
  • Elizabeth Modde, University of Missouri-Columbia
  • Chesley Murphy, University of Arkansas
  • Anderson Nguyen, University of California, Irvine
  • Chelsea Roach, Medical University of South Carolina
  • Abigail Rosales, Texas Tech University HSC, Amarillo
  • Jennifer Scontras, Tufts University—Maine Track
  • James Sullivan, University of South Carolina-Greenville
  • Josh Taylor, Stanford University
  • Melissa Tigert, University of Toronto
  • Lilian White, Wright State University

2019 Scholars

  • Leora Aquino, Michigan State University 
  • Claire Barton, Quinnipiac Medical School
  • Renee Brumbaugh, Northeast Ohio Medical University
  • Emily Endres, University of South Dakota
  • Cooper Feild, University of Utah 
  • Michael Gabriel, Florida Atlantic University
  • Rebecca Gieseker, University of Chicago
  • Supreetha Gubbala, University of Massachusetts
  • Jessica Li, Virginia Commonwealth University
  • Serena Liu, Keck School of Medicine of USC
  • Raed Narvel, Florida International University
  • Holly Perez, University of Florida
  • Andre Scarlat, University of Minnesota
  • Michelle Scheurich, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
  • Claire Simon, University of Washington
  • Dianna Stade, Tufts University 
  • Lindsay Thimmig, Georgetown University
  • David Wang, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
  • Mackenzie Whitesell Garcia, University of Colorado 
  • Stephanie Zhou, University of Toronto

2018 Scholars

  • Erin Cathcart, Penn State University
  • Paul Stadem, Mayo Clinic 
  • Jessica D'Souza, Baylor College 
  • Emily Brown, University of Pennsylvania
  • Rachel Lee, University of Minnesota
  • Caitlin Felder-Heim, University of Colorado
  • Madison Breeden, University of Kansas-Wichita
  • John Diehl, Emory School of Medicine
  • Stacy Bartlett, Brown University
  • Elynn Smith, University of Utah
  • Antionette Moore, UT Southwestern Medical Center
  • Dontre Douse, Mercer Health University Medical Center
  • Howard Lanney, University of Rochester
  • Ruth (Rory) Aufderheide, University of Arizona
  • Christina Holbrooks, University of South Carolina
  • Jamie Majdi, George Washington University (Target School)

2014–2017 Scholars

2017 Scholars

  • Karishma Dara, University of Rochester 
  • Sara Dunham, University of Utah
  • Jennifer Edge, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
  • Sarah Fortin, University of Connecticut
  • Thomas Golden, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
  • John Heafner, Saint Louis University
  • Kenneth Herring, University of North Carolina, Charlotte
  • Annie Le, University of California, Riverside
  • Hannah Moser, Rush University Medical Center
  • Molly Olson, Des Moines University
  • Daphne Olson, University of New Mexico
  • Yeri Park, Virginia Commonwealth University
  • Kristin Prewitt, USF Health Family Medicine
  • Cristina Rabaza, University of Florida
  • Darian Roberts, Northeast Ohio Medical University
  • LaTraia Scott, 2nd Lt, Uniformed Services University
  • Nam Thai, University of California
  • Mary Abigail (Molly) Warren, Georgetown University
  • Alexa Waters, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
  • Victoria Boggiano, Stanford University 

2016 Scholars

  • Jana Baatenberg, Michigan State University
  • Harry “Buddy” Blanke, Medical University of South Carolina
  • Julie Blaszczak, University of Michigan
  • Mandy Ward Boltz, University of Arizona College of Medicine
  • Margaret Chen, University of California at Los Angeles
  • Edward Elchico, Rush Medical College
  • Jessica Friedman, Duke School of Medicine
  • Madeline Haas, Albany Medical College
  • Katie Hinderaker, University of Minnesota
  • Shira Lerner, Case Western Reserve University
  • Suzanne Meredith-Giunta, Virginia Commonwealth University
  • Christina Olson-Cronk, University of North Carolina
  • Teresa Pan, University of Kansas Medical Center
  • Cory Pollard, University of Florida
  • Diana Wohler, Harvard Medical School (target school winner)
  • Jean Yau, Baylor College of Medicine

2015 Scholars

  • Roma Amin, Jefferson Medical College
  • Crister Brady, University of California, Davis
  • Milele Bynum, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Benjamin Clements, University of Vermont
  • Elizabeth Cristiano, The University of Kansas
  • Jaron Easterbrook, University of Calgary
  • Margaret Grove, University of Rochester
  • Kathryn Klump, PhD, University of Oklahoma
  • Josie Maione, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
  • Sara Martin, Harvard Medical School
  • Sarah Norris, Brody School of Medicine
  • Michael Rudolph, University of Colorado
  • Robin Sautter, University of Minnesota Medical School
  • Stephanie Shaw, Boston University
  • Eric Sid, University of Washington
  • Kenji Taylor, University of Pennsylvania
  • Angela Esquibel, Brown Alpert Medical School

2014 Scholars

  • Benjamin Adler, University of Massachusetts Medical School
  • Sharon Chacko, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine
  • Karl Dietrich, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth
  • Peter Meyers, University of Minnesota Medical School
  • Amanda Miller, KU School of Medicine—Wichita
  • Jessica Portillo, Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago
  • Maggie Reinsvold, University of Colorado School of Medicine
  • Hannah Rosenblum, Albert Einstein College
  • Ivana Simpson, Florida State University College of Medicine
  • Tiffany Ho, John Hopkins University (target school winner)

2009–2013 Scholars

2013 Scholars

  • Kristina Gracey, Albany Medical College
  • Kate Kubler, University of Connecticut School of Medicine
  • Marissa L. Kummerling, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
  • Courtney Sims, George Washington University School of Medicine
  • Megan Weeks, University of Massachusetts Medical School

2012 Scholars

  • Chandra Campbell, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine
  • Rebecca Levine, University of Chicago
  • Colleen Loo-Gross, University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita
  • Andrew Lutzkanin, Penn State Hershey College of Medicine
  • Sarah Selig, Stanford University (target school winner)

2011 Scholars

  • Abby Davids, Ohio State University
  • Aaron Meyer, Saint Louis University
  • Nina Patel, Stanford University (target school winner)
  • Ellen Perkins, Duke University of Medicine

2010 Scholars

  • Pamela Ferry, Baylor College of Medicine
  • Mafudia A. Bangura, New Jersey Medical School
  • Cecilie Only, Florida State University College of Medicine
  • Elizabeth Blair, Columbia University of School of Phy & Surgeons (target school winner)

2009 Scholars

  • Jill Christensen, Oregon Health & Science University
  • Michael Kopec, Wayne State University
  • Colleen Harrison, Harvard Medical School (target school winner)

Questions About the Scholarship?

Questions about the scholarship or the application process should be directed to Mary Williams at (913) 800-5528 or the email linked in the button below.

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AI Chatbot Tips

Tips for Using STFM's AI Assistant

STFM's AI Assistant is designed to help you find information and answers about Family Medicine education. While it's a powerful tool, getting the best results depends on how you phrase your questions. Here's how to make the most of your interactions:

1. Avoid Ambiguous Language

Be Clear and Specific: Use precise terms and avoid vague words like "it" or "that" without clear references.

Example:

Instead of: "Can you help me with that?"
Try: "Can you help me update our Family Medicine clerkship curriculum?"
Why this is important: Ambiguous language can confuse the AI, leading to irrelevant or unclear responses. Clear references help the chatbot understand exactly what you're asking.

2. Use Specific Terms

Identify the Subject Clearly: Clearly state the subject or area you need information about.

Example:

Instead of: "What resources does STFM provide?"
Try: "I'm a new program coordinator for a Family Medicine clerkship. What STFM resources are available to help me design or update clerkship curricula?"
Why this is better: Providing details about your role ("program coordinator") and your goal ("design or update clerkship curricula") gives the chatbot enough context to offer more targeted information.

3. Don't Assume the AI Knows Everything

Provide Necessary Details:The STFM AI Assistant has been trained on STFM's business and resources. The AI can only use the information you provide or that it has been trained on.

Example:

Instead of: "How can I improve my program?"
Try: "As a program coordinator for a Family Medicine clerkship, what resources does STFM provide to help me improve student engagement and learning outcomes?"
Why this is important: Including relevant details helps the AI understand your specific situation, leading to more accurate and useful responses.

4. Reset if You Change Topics

Clear Chat History When Switching Topics:

If you move to a completely new topic and the chatbot doesn't recognize the change, click the Clear Chat History button and restate your question.
Note: Clearing your chat history removes all previous context from the chatbot's memory.
Why this is important: Resetting ensures the AI does not carry over irrelevant information, which could lead to confusion or inaccurate answers.

5. Provide Enough Context

Include Background Information: The more context you provide, the better the chatbot can understand and respond to your question.

Example:

Instead of: "What are the best practices?"
Try: "In the context of Family Medicine education, what are the best practices for integrating clinical simulations into the curriculum?"
Why this is important: Specific goals, constraints, or preferences allow the AI to tailor its responses to your unique needs.

6. Ask One Question at a Time

Break Down Complex Queries: If you have multiple questions, ask them separately.

Example:

Instead of: "What are the requirements for faculty development, how do I register for conferences, and what grants are available?"
Try: Start with "What are the faculty development requirements for Family Medicine educators?" Then follow up with your other questions after receiving the response.
Why this is important: This approach ensures each question gets full attention and a complete answer.

Examples of Good vs. Bad Prompts

Bad Prompt

"What type of membership is best for me?"

Why it's bad: The AI Chat Assistant has no information about your background or needs.

Good Prompt

"I'm the chair of the Department of Family Medicine at a major university, and I plan to retire next year. I'd like to stay involved with Family Medicine education. What type of membership is best for me?"

Why it's good: The AI Chat Assistant knows your role, your future plans, and your interest in staying involved, enabling it to provide more relevant advice.

Double Check Important Information

While the AI Chat Assistant is a helpful tool, it can still produce inaccurate or incomplete responses. Always verify critical information with reliable sources or colleagues before taking action.

Technical Limitations

The Chat Assistant:

  • Cannot access external websites or open links
  • Cannot process or view images
  • Cannot make changes to STFM systems or process transactions
  • Cannot access real-time information (like your STFM Member Profile information)

STFM AI Assistant
Disclaimer: The STFM Assistant can make mistakes. Check important information.