Dr. Brandon Abbott 'To Medical Education, Mentorship and Beyond' Scholarship

We are proud to award three scholarships annually to exceptional individual(s) on track to serving in the primary care medicine discipline in rural and underserved communities.

North Country HealthCare and the Colorado Plateau Center for Health Professions are thrilled to announce the
Dr. Brandon Abbott ‘To Medical Education, Mentorship and Beyond’ Scholarship. The inaugural scholarship was awarded in 2022.

We will be providing three (3) awards in the amount of $1,000 each to an outstanding pre-med, medical student and resident, respectively. The intent of the scholarship is not only to offset education related expenses but also to focus on establishing mentorship and support throughout your journey and beyond.

North Country HealthCare depends on medical students and residents to pursue careers in rural primary care medicine. It is our intention to grow candidates into extraordinary physicians to support the needs of our rural communities for many years to come.

Dr. Abbott and family at Toy Story Land

You've got a friend in me

I am honored to have the opportunity to establish a scholarship fund that cultivates a culture of mentorship and supports students and residents on this transformative journey to becoming a physician.

Having journeyed through the Colorado Plateau pipeline, I know I would not be a physician today without the guidance of my many mentors.

My mentors were crucial to my path as a physician. I started the journey so unaware of what lay ahead. Without them, I didn’t know how to prepare for medical school, rotations, residency, and beyond. Even now, I lean into the guidance of mentors in my professional development.

In addition to the scholarship’s financial assistance, I hope that award recipients will receive mentorship, enabling them to become mentors and coaches to one another throughout their mutual journeys.

Best of luck,
Brandon Abbott, DO, MPH, FAAP, Super Awesome DAD!

Eligibility & Requirements

To be eligible all applicants must meet the following criteria:

Current Senior Pre-Med attending Northern Arizona University, 3rd Year ATSU-SOMA Medical Student serving northern Arizona, or a 3rd Year Resident employed with North Country HealthCare
Demonstrates a commitment to practicing Primary Care Medicine (non-specialty) in rural and/or underserved communities
Community health center driven and committed to serve northern Arizona upon completion of training. (Candidates intending to work for North Country HealthCare upon graduation will be given preference.)

Fund Parameters:

Tuition assistance or loan payoff
Living expenses (while enrolled or employed with North Country HealthCare as a medical student or resident)
Expenses related to education such as college admission testing fees, additional educational opportunities, and residency application fees/interview travel, etc.

All application materials must be submitted by December 31st for full consideration.

I have a question. Actually, not just one. I have all the questions.

When is the deadline to apply?

Applications open on October 1st each year and are due on December 31st. Awards are announced on February 1st of the following year. For example, an application is due December 31st, 2023, the award is announced on February 1st, 2024.

*Please keep in mind that all application materials must be submitted by December 31st for full consideration.

How do I apply? Do I have to be nominated?

You can apply here, and no, you don’t have to be nominated. However, we do hope you have someone who is mentoring you along your health career journey. If not, that’s ok, Dr. Abbott is here for you!

How many scholarships are given each year and what is the amount of each award?

Initially, we will provide three scholarships at $1,000 each. Hopefully with the generous support of our donors, we will be able to provide more in the future and beyond!

What criteria must an exceptional candidate encompass?

An exceptional candidate must meet the following criteria:

Current Senior Pre-Med attending Northern Arizona University, 3^rd Year ATSU-SOMA Medical Student serving northern Arizona, or a 3^rd Year Resident employed with North Country HealthCare
Demonstrates a commitment to practicing Primary Care Medicine (non-specialty) in rural and/or underserved communities
Community health center driven and committed to serve northern Arizona upon completion of training. (Candidates intending to work for North Country HealthCare upon graduation will be given preference.)

How can I spend the award?

A recipient can use their award funds for the following:

Tuition assistance or loan payoff
Living expenses (while enrolled or employed with North Country HealthCare as a medical student or resident)
Expenses related to education such as college admission testing fees, additional educational opportunities, and residency application fees/interview travel, etc.

I’d like to learn more about this scholarship opportunity. Whom can I reach out to?

You can reach out to our development folks by emailing development@nchcaz.org.

Why was this scholarship created?

Dr. Brandon Abbott epitomizes the understanding of rural healthcare and has been on the journey you’re either about to take or you’re currently on. He had great mentors and support along the way and wishes that for you!

How can I donate to this amazing scholarship opportunity?

You can provide support to this scholarship fund by clicking here.

To infinity and beyond:

2023 Award Recipients

Reach for the Sky

Congratulations to our award recipients for the 2023-2024 academic year:

Tasha Harder, DO (resident)
Octavio Olivas (med student)
Mira Schwertfager (current senior pre-med)

L to R: Brandon Abbott, DO, MPH, Tasha Harder, DO, Mira Schwertfager, Octavio Olivas

Application Requirements

Step 1: Compose your personal statement answering the following questions.

Please answer the following questions in the form of a personal statement/narrative. You will upload your statement as part of the online application form. There is an 8,000 character limit for each answer.

Describe your commitment to practicing Primary Care Medicine (non-specialty) in rural and/or underserved communities.
Describe your commitment to serve in a community health center and your connections to northern Arizona and/or North Country HealthCare.

Step 2: Complete the online application. In addition to your personal statement, you will be asked for the following information:

Two letters of recommendation

Step 3: Share the recommendation form with two people:

Share this link with your recommenders
Up to two (2) recommendations will be accepted per application and at least one must be from a professional mentor such as a professor, instructor, academic counselor, preceptor or employer.
Letters of recommendation should not be from family members.
You will upload the letter(s) of recommendation to your application.

All application materials must be submitted by December 31st for consideration.

Award winners will be notified by February 1, 2024.

If you have questions or need assistance, contact development@nchcaz.org.