The Eva Dimitrov, MD & PAHPM Student Scholarship:
Application Information
The Physician Associates in Hospice and Palliative Medicine (PAHPM), a constituent organization of the
AAPA, offers $1,500 scholarship grants to currently enrolled PA students. This scholarship was created to honor the memory of Eva Dimitrov and her journey through serious-illness and her discovery of how meaningful of a role those who cared for her, her family and caregivers can play. Eva was a sister, a physician, mother, wife, daughter and colleague who realized the full impact of her terminal condition from the time of diagnosis, and found the infinite value of a spiritual connection in her life journey. The caregiving role—played not only by her family and physical caregivers, but also her medical providers and team—starts really from the time of diagnosis.
Her husband and sister recognized the value behind these individuals, and the need to develop communication and compassion skills that are vital to the understanding of the word “palliation” which is “to come beside and comfort.”
This scholarship aims to help train future ‘caregiver’ PAs with those very intentions. The hope is that for those PA students who are ready to go that extra step in steeping themselves in serious-illness care, can have the right resources and tools to learn what it means to palliate from the very beginning of dis-ease. Our hope is to provide just a glimmer of hope to be honest, caring, and a guide for those patients, families and caregivers suffering from serious-ill and/or terminal illness.
Candidate Requirements:
1. Student in good standing, with a minimum GPA of 3.0 (unofficial transcripts should be sent with the application) at an accredited PA program in the United States.
2. Membership in PAHPM (Click here for FREE PAHPM Student Membership
3. Members in AAPA/SAPPA (Click here for AAPA Student Membership Page)
4. Demonstration of interests in the fields of hospice and palliative medicine, with interest in the care of patients and families with serious-illness. Includes clinical experiences specifically in palliative medicine and hospice care planned in the clinical year.
5. Letter of recommendation from an instructor or preceptor.
Scholarship:
One scholarship will be awarded annually from our PA Foundation sponsored fund.
Amount: A one-time $1500 scholarship grant.
To Apply:
Complete the online Application here:
Online PAHPM Student Scholarship Application Form
For the application you will need to provide:
● Applicant Name, Mailing Address, Email, and Phone Number
● Identify yourself as a 1st or 2nd year PA Student in Good Standing
● Name, Phone Number, and Email of your Program Director and/or Faculty Advisor
● Last unofficial/official interim grade report from you PA program
● Applicant Resume/CV
● A letter of recommendation from a professor or a clinical supervisor is also required.
● Personal statement: Please include a 750 word or less typed-personal statement on a
separate page. Your statement should include personal background, pertinent experiences
and/or interests in working with patients, families, and caregivers experiencing serious illness
and/or terminal illness. State your future goals and expectations upon completing your PA
program studies, and why you feel you should be considered for a PAHPM student
scholarship grant.
Suggestions for discussion could include:
● What does holistic care mean to you? How will you, as a PA, strive to incorporate this
approach into a potential rotation, should you be selected?
● Share an experience in which you observed or facilitated conversations around palliative
care and quality of life. What did you take from the experience and how can you incorporate
that into your practice? How would you approach those discussions and prepare if this is the
first time the conversation is occurring with a particular patient and family.
Important Dates:
•Open June 1st through August 31st, 2024
•Recipient Announced, September 2024
FOR QUESTIONS:
Email: info@pahpm.org