Rural Scholarships Announced for 2023-24 Academic Year

The MU School of Medicine Rural Scholars Program announced 20 students have been awarded more than $656,000 in scholarships thanks to a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in its continued commitment to helping address the shortage of primary care physicians in rural Missouri.

For the 2023-24 academic year, six M2 and M3 students were awarded a scholarship, while four M1 and M4 students were selected. With support from the HRSA and HHS, the Rural Scholars Program Scholarship was part of a four-year grant award totaling $16 million.

M4 Recipients

• Abigail Beach // Lexington, Missouri
• Sam Cheng // Caruthersville, Missouri
• Abigail Hopkins // Washington, Missouri
• Ashton Skopec // Bolivar, Missouri

M3 Recipients

• Madison Billingsley // Green Ridge, Missouri
• Rebecka Ernst // Chillicothe, Missouri
• Brooke Kronk // Hannibal, Missouri
• Cameron Meyer // California, Missouri
• Ravi Patel // Kennett, Missouri
• Emily Winfrey // Niangua, Missouri

M2 Recipients

• Quin Blankenship // Lenox, Missouri
• Maggie Hellmann // Green Castle, Missouri
• Jessalyn Hultz // Palmyra, Missouri
• Dagen Jones // Springfield, Missouri
• Adam Orf // Troy, Missouri
• Madyson Williams // Laredo, Missouri

M1 Recipients

• Madelyn Bogler // Union, Missouri
• Alexis Borgstadt // Concordia, Missouri
• Welton Vosmith // Cole Camp, Missouri
• Sydney Young // DeSoto, Missouri

Rural Scholars Program Scholarship applicants must be currently enrolled at the MU School of Medicine and a Rural Scholar in good standing with the program.

The MU School of Medicine’s Rural Scholars Program launched in 1995. As the state’s leading educator of physicians practicing in Missouri, the MU School of Medicine is dedicated to improving the supply and distribution of physicians in rural Missouri. The Rural Scholars Program is designed to offer medical students interested in rural practice a variety of experiences including lectures, mentoring and clinical programs centered around rural care. 

This program is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $16,000,000 with 10 percent financed with nongovernmental sources. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government.