If you trained in the UAMS College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, you know how much a single mentor, a well-timed piece of advice, or a little financial breathing room can shape a career. A group of College of Medicine alumni and colleagues has created a new way to pay that forward.
UAMS has launched the Pediatrics Scholarship Initiative, a first-of-its-kind scholarship for the College of Medicine built specifically to support students at a pivotal moment: the transition from medical school into pediatric residency.
The scholarship was the vision of four pediatricians who know firsthand what that transition looks like — Richard Jacobs, M.D.; Michele Moss, M.D.; Rhonda Dick, M.D.; and Bill Steinbach, M.D. Their goal was simple but ambitious: build a scholarship that the Department of Pediatrics and pediatricians across Arkansas would be proud to stand behind, creating a shared investment in the physicians who will care for the state’s children for decades to come.
For many alumni, this kind of connection is exactly what made the difference in their own training. Now it’s built into the scholarship by design.
How It Works
- A $5,000 award will go each year to a qualified fourth-year UAMS medical student pursuing pediatrics or a pediatric subspecialty.
- Students who match into the UAMS Pediatrics Residency Program at Arkansas Children’s may be eligible for an additional $5,000 or more, depending on available funds.
- As philanthropic support grows the fund, award amounts — and the number of students supported — are expected to grow with it.
Why It Matters
Medical education keeps getting more expensive, and that cost can quietly steer talented students away from pediatrics. This scholarship is designed to counter that pull — easing the financial burden so more graduates choose to become the pediatricians Arkansas needs, and choose to stay and lead here.
How Alumni Can Help
Supporters can contribute in the way that fits them best:
- Principal gifts grow the endowed fund, creating a permanent, self-sustaining source of scholarship support through annual investment earnings.
- Spendable gifts go directly to scholarship funding now, helping a student today.
- Many donors choose to combine both — supporting a current student while building a lasting legacy for the classes that follow.
Make a gift: bit.ly/pedsscholarship
Questions? Contact: Erica Dunn Senior Executive Director of Development (501) 889-8843 EMWillardDunn@uams.edu