Awards and Scholarships
For more information about scholarships, please contact the Director of Academic Services at (815) 395-5704.
Scholarships Heading link
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College of Medicine Rockford Scholarships
- College of Medicine Rockford Scholarship Fund – Established to provide financial support for students enrolled at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford. The scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of financial need.
- College of Medicine Rockford Rural Medicine Scholarship Fund – Established in 2016, this annual scholarship is awarded to first- through fourth-year medical students who are enrolled in the Rural Medical Education (RMED) Program, are in good academic standing and can demonstrate financial need.
- Craig E. Booher, MD Community Health Scholarship – New in 2018, this scholarship was established in memory of former College of Medicine Rockford Dean, Dr. Craig E. Booher. Dr. Booher served as associate dean from 1972-1989 and acting dean in 1975. The scholarship is given to a fourth-year medical student who demonstrates financial need and who matches into a family medicine residency program.
- John A. & Idelle D. Segzda Scholarship – Established in 2004, in memory of John and Idelle Segzda of Freeport, Illinois, and made possible through the generosity of the Segzda family, the scholarship is designed to be awarded to second-, third-, or fourth-year medical students at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford who are in good academic standing and can demonstrate financial need.
- FHN Rural Medical Education (RMED) Program Scholarship – This scholarship was established by the Freeport Regional Healthcare Foundation. This needs-based scholarship is awarded to a first- through fourth-year medical student enrolled in the Rural Medical Education (RMED) Program and who is from one of the following Illinois Counties: Winnebago, Stephenson, Boone, Ogle or Carroll.
- Karl F. Bader, Jr. Scholarship – Available to current and incoming University of Illinois students, with preference given to students with a craniofacial anomaly. This scholarship is being offered to any University of Illinois student without regard to campus, GPA, or program of study.
- Major Thomas F. Koritz Memorial Scholarship – Established in memory of Dr. Thomas Koritz, a Class of 1979 College of Medicine Rockford graduate, who was killed in action in the Persian Gulf War. Application is open to students who complete a unique educational experience in Scotland, Ireland, the UK or any other country in which the primary language is English and an advanced healthcare system exists. The selection criteria will be based upon precognitive characteristics to reflect Dr. Koritz’s reputation as a compassionate physician and individual. Students will be asked to complete a post-visit presentation on their experience.
- Shirley Henley Philon Scholarship – Established by Mrs. Shirley Henley Philon of Rockford to provide scholarships for students enrolled at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford. Shirley was a long-time volunteer at the college, serving for over 10 years on the Dean’s Action Council. This scholarship is given to a third-year medical student in good standing, and will be selected on the basis of financial need and academic merit.
- Assir Daniel Da Silva Scholarship – This scholarship is for fourth-year medical students who demonstrate outstanding qualities embodied by Dr. DaSilva, including being outgoing, dependable, knowledgeable, amicable, diligent and dedicated to medicine. Recipients shall possess strong intellectual curiosity, excellent rapport and sensitivity to the needs of patients, and a sense of humor. Finally, recipients shall appreciate diversity in people, place, cultures, races and other areas important of leading rich, fulfilling lives.
- Dr. L. P. Johnson Scholarship – Established in 1987, this scholarship is awarded annually to a fourth-year medical student at the College of Medicine in Rockford who, during his/her second and third years of study at said College, has shown interest and achievement in family practice. Dr. L.P. Johnson, a pioneer in family medicine education, started our family medicine residency program in 1972.
- Dr. Gary and Terry Rifkin Scholarship – Established in 2018 by Dr. Rifkin, a long-standing member of the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford faculty, and his wife, Terry, in order to make medical education more affordable to College of Medicine Rockford students. The scholarship will be awarded to a fourth-year medical student with demonstrated financial need, who is interested in pursuing a career in internal medicine, and who is in the top 25% of the Rockford class. If no student meets all the previous criteria, students with demonstrated financial need, who are interested in pursuing a career in internal medicine, and who are in the top 33% of the Rockford class may be considered.
- Richard W. and Trudy Gassmann Reynolds Scholarship in Rural Medicine – Established in 2019 by long-time Rockford residents, Richard (“Dick”) and Trudy Reynolds, in order to make education more affordable for students pursuing medical degrees who desire to advance rural medicine. In addition, the Reynolds established this fund to honor Trudy’s maternal grandfather, Dr. George T. Weber, a physician in Olney, Illinois, who brought medical care to many in rural Illinois. This annual scholarship is awarded to a student enrolled in the Rural Medical Education (RMED) Program with preference given to students that demonstrate a financial need.
- The Brubaker Charitable Trust Rural Medical Education Program Scholarship – This scholarship was established in 2019 by the Brubaker Charitable Trust of Rockford to make education more affordable for students from rural areas who are pursuing medical degrees at the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford and who are committed to returning to their home communities to practice medicine after completing their training.
- Dr. Ronald and Carol Burmeister Scholarship – Established in 2020 by Dr. Ronald and Carol Burmeister to make medical education more affordable for students, this scholarship is awarded to first- or second-year medical students with demonstrated financial need.
- Brovember US Student Research Scholarship – Established by local not-for-profit Brovember, Inc., this scholarship is awarded annually to students who are conducting prostate cancer research under the guidance of faculty in the Department of Biomedical Sciences at the College of Medicine at Rockford. The recipients shall be medical students who are earning the MD degree or graduate students who are earning the MS in Medical Biotechnology (MBT) degree.
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University of Illinois College of Medicine Scholarship Resources
In addition to College of Medicine Rockford scholarship opportunities, the University of Illinois College of Medicine Office of Student Financial Aid provides of list of institution-wide resources for scholarships and grants. To get more information, please visit the College of Medicine Financial Aid website.
Gold Humanism Honor Society Heading link
The GHHS recognizes students, residents and faculty who are exemplars of compassionate patient care and who serve as role models, mentors and leaders in medicine. GHHS members are peer-nominated and are the ones that others say they want taking care of their own family.
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Class of 2023
Ten fourth-year University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford students were recently inducted into the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism Honor Society (GHHS).
The students were welcomed into the society at the White Coat Ceremony Aug. 12 and received their GHHS pin by Dr. Errol Baptist, clinical professor of pediatrics and GHHS faculty mentor.
The class of 2023 GHHS inductees are: Marc Altimari, Marley DeVoss, Katrina Dovalovsky, Zach Hart, Rebecca Hezeltine, Kathryn Saulcy, Katrina Soyangco, Stephanie Tse, Maria Van Gundy and Reilly Wojciehowski.