Lazarus Family Scholarship Program

The Lazarus Family Scholarship Program was established by Gerald Lazarus, MD ('63) and Audrey Jakubowski Lazarus, PhD to empower medical students to pursue transformative educational and professional development opportunities that extend beyond the traditional medical school curriculum. The scholarship is designed to help students cultivate the knowledge, skills, experiences, and mentorship needed to become future leaders in healthcare.

Each year, one second-year medical student is competitively selected as a Lazarus Scholar and receives funding throughout the remainder of medical school to pursue an individualized program of professional growth. Central to the scholarship is the partnership between the Lazarus Scholar and a dedicated faculty mentor. Together, the scholar and mentor develop a personalized educational plan and measurable goals that align with the student's interests and future career aspirations. Through regular mentorship, guidance, and reflection, this relationship is intended to foster meaningful professional growth while helping the student navigate opportunities that will have a lasting impact on their future career.

The program encourages students to pursue experiences that will meaningfully enhance their professional development and broaden their perspective. Depending on each student's goals, funding may support opportunities such as:

• Advanced coursework, certificate programs, or degree programs (e.g., MPH, MBA)
• Attendance at professional conferences, workshops, or leadership institutes
• Specialized educational or clinical training experiences
• Domestic or international educational travel
• Research or scholarly activities related to healthcare delivery, policy, advocacy, population health, quality improvement, or other areas that advance the student's professional goals
• Other educational experiences that provide exceptional opportunities for growth and mentorship

The Lazarus Scholarship is intended to invest in a student's long-term professional development rather than support a single activity or project. Applicants should propose a cohesive educational plan that leverages mentorship, experiential learning, and professional opportunities to help them achieve their future goals in healthcare. The funds are not to be used to support scientific bench research or the development of case series or limited clinical trials of specific agents.

Eligible applicants must be enrolled in the Scholarly Concentration Program and work collaboratively with their faculty mentor to develop a proposal that aligns with the goals of the scholarship. Applications should include a thoughtful educational plan and proposed budget demonstrating how scholarship funds will support transformational educational experiences, professional development, and the mentoring relationship over the remainder of medical school.

Each Lazarus Scholar holds this distinction throughout their remaining years of medical school. The scholarship provides an approximate award of $8,000 per year (subject to annual endowment payout and School of Medicine and Health Sciences support).

Application Requirements & Selection Criteria

Eligible Candidates

MS II's. Only applicants in good academic standing will be considered for the Lazarus Family Scholarship Program. Students with failing or conditional grades are not eligible.

Application Process

1st Round: Submission of Applications
2nd Round: Oral Presentations — April 8th from 1 to 5 PM (if applying and selected as a finalist, please ensure that you save this date/time as we will not be able to accommodate additional times)

Students submitting the top applications will be invited to present their proposals to the scholarship committee.

The Application

• Provide a detailed description of the project to include objectives and intent of the experience as well as its content, structure, learning objectives and time line.
• Provide a statement explaining your personal interest in the stated project, relevant past experience, and how the proposed project will contribute to your future goals.
• Include how your background prepares you to be successful in completing your stated project, and specify how the data collected through the project will be analyzed.
• Include the relevance of your project to broader social impact.
• Provide a budget indicating how you intend to use the funding throughout your program.
• Explain how you will balance your school work and the demands of your program.
• Please provide a letter of support from your project mentor - to include his/her intent to provide guidance and support to you throughout the duration of your program.
• Please provide one letter of recommendation (in addition to the letter of support from you mentor) from someone (internal or external) who can comment on your potential with regards to your submitted program.

Selection Criteria

• Academic Excellence
• Quality and organization of the proposed program (i.e. potential to achieve goals and objectives). Educational value of proposed program.
• Relevance of program to students' long-term goals.
• Quality of the infrastructure and support by the mentor /host organization.
• Potential for Success - will take into account factors such as interpersonal skills, professionalism and leadership.

Reporting Requirements

• Lazarus Family Scholars are required to meet annually with Steven Davis, MD, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, and provide an update on their progress.
• Scholars will submit a report each semester to the Office of Student Professional Enrichment to include an updated budget outlining accomplishments and achievements to date, and any obstacles hindering success.
• All Scholars will be required to present their findings at GW Research Day or other appropriate venues to their fellow students and faculty, and potentially to other parties as well.