International Medical Outreach Scholarship
Sponsored by Dr. Stan and Barbara Grogg
Founded in 2013, Power of a Nickel came from the global outreach experiences of Dr. Stan and Barbara Grogg. Their mission is to provide quality healthcare to underserved and medically needy persons including healthcare education to support their continued health improvement.
Three students will be selected for the scholarship and will receive up to $500 to cover transportation, room, board and essential expenses related to an international medicine missions/relief trip. The completion of this trip may take place during any part of the four years of study.
Awards may be applied to relief trips that have previously occurred or are yet to occur as long as the applicant is still a student at an accredited college of osteopathic medicine at the time the scholarship is awarded.
Requirements for consideration:
- SOMA membership.
- Demonstrate a strong interest in international medicine.
- The trip must be a minimum of 2 weeks in length and must take place in a country outside of the United States.
The awards will be distributed each year at the annual spring SOMA convention in Washington D.C. Awards may be applied to rotations that have previously occurred or are yet to occur as long as the applicant is still a student at an accredited college of osteopathic medicine at the time the scholarship is awarded.
Due to travel restrictions from COVID-19, these international trips have been rescheduled to occur at future dates.
Spring 2020 Recipients:
Three students will be selected for the scholarship and will receive up to $500 to cover transportation, room, board and essential expenses related to an international medicine missions/relief trip. The completion of this trip may take place during any part of the four years of study.
Awards may be applied to relief trips that have previously occurred or are yet to occur as long as the applicant is still a student at an accredited college of osteopathic medicine at the time the scholarship is awarded.
Requirements for consideration:
- SOMA membership.
- Demonstrate a strong interest in international medicine.
- The trip must be a minimum of 2 weeks in length and must take place in a country outside of the United States.
The awards will be distributed each year at the annual spring SOMA convention in Washington D.C. Awards may be applied to rotations that have previously occurred or are yet to occur as long as the applicant is still a student at an accredited college of osteopathic medicine at the time the scholarship is awarded.
Due to travel restrictions from COVID-19, these international trips have been rescheduled to occur at future dates.
Spring 2020 Recipients:
Dania Abu-Jubara, OMS III,
Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine (ARCOM)
A few words from Student Doctor Dania Abu-Jubara on the importance of receiving the International Medical Mission Trip Scholarship:
"I would like to express my genuine appreciation to Barbara Grogg ARNP, Stanley Grogg DO,
and The Power of a Nickel Organization for your generosity in funding the International
Medical Mission Trip Scholarship. I am sincerely grateful to have been chosen as a recipient of
your valuable scholarship. I am truly honored to receive this support from kind donors, such as
yourselves, who are distinguished leaders in global health and humanitarian aid. Your work in
global medical outreach and health education has made a significant impact in many
impoverished areas and improved the health of many individuals worldwide. I am incredibly
inspired by you and hope to follow in your footsteps during my monthlong international clinical
rotation in Costa Rica. Your financial support will help mitigate the expenses associated with my
trip and allow me the opportunity to provide care to the medically underserved communities in
Costa Rica. I look forward to working with the local physicians and healthcare staff at their low-
cost clinic. By practicing in such a setting with limited technological recourses, I will have a
unique challenge that will allow me to enhance my diagnostic and problem-solving skills. I also
look forward to increasing my cultural sensitivity and my awareness of global health issues.
Thank you again for your investment in the education and future of students, like me. With this
award, you are giving me the privilege, as a medical student, of focusing on a strong passion of
mine, global health. Exploring such interests and developing important skills would not be
possible without the generous support from scholarship donors like yourselves. Thank you for
making this possible for me and many others. I believe this experience will make me a stronger
advocate for international medical care and a better healthcare provider for my future patients.
To serve those who are most in need is a true honor that I will carry into my professional career
as an osteopathic physician. I hope to become a diverse health leader addressing health equity
globally. I accept this award with deep and humble gratitude."
"I would like to express my genuine appreciation to Barbara Grogg ARNP, Stanley Grogg DO,
and The Power of a Nickel Organization for your generosity in funding the International
Medical Mission Trip Scholarship. I am sincerely grateful to have been chosen as a recipient of
your valuable scholarship. I am truly honored to receive this support from kind donors, such as
yourselves, who are distinguished leaders in global health and humanitarian aid. Your work in
global medical outreach and health education has made a significant impact in many
impoverished areas and improved the health of many individuals worldwide. I am incredibly
inspired by you and hope to follow in your footsteps during my monthlong international clinical
rotation in Costa Rica. Your financial support will help mitigate the expenses associated with my
trip and allow me the opportunity to provide care to the medically underserved communities in
Costa Rica. I look forward to working with the local physicians and healthcare staff at their low-
cost clinic. By practicing in such a setting with limited technological recourses, I will have a
unique challenge that will allow me to enhance my diagnostic and problem-solving skills. I also
look forward to increasing my cultural sensitivity and my awareness of global health issues.
Thank you again for your investment in the education and future of students, like me. With this
award, you are giving me the privilege, as a medical student, of focusing on a strong passion of
mine, global health. Exploring such interests and developing important skills would not be
possible without the generous support from scholarship donors like yourselves. Thank you for
making this possible for me and many others. I believe this experience will make me a stronger
advocate for international medical care and a better healthcare provider for my future patients.
To serve those who are most in need is a true honor that I will carry into my professional career
as an osteopathic physician. I hope to become a diverse health leader addressing health equity
globally. I accept this award with deep and humble gratitude."
Vraj Tripathi, OMS I,
Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine (MSUCOM)
A few words from Student Doctor Vraj Tripathi on the importance of receiving the International Medical Mission Trip Scholarship...
"I would like to sincerely thank SOMA Foundation and Power of a Nickel for conferring
me the International Medical Mission Trip Scholarship. This scholarship will help
cover travel and lodging costs incurred during my recent trip to San Pedro de
Macorís, Dominican Republic this past February. This was my first medical service
elective to the island nation, although my primary interests in global health lie within
Latin America. While in the Dominican Republic, I participated alongside fifteen
osteopathic medical students and four physicians from MSUCOM to help diagnose,
treat, and educate patients in rural communities. During our tenure there, we were
able to serve upwards of 400 individuals, most of whom lived in bateys. Most of the
individuals treated in the bateys were of Haitian origins and were brought over to
the Dominican Republic to work in the sugarcane fields. When brought over, many
were stripped of citizenship and left in desolate conditions with fewer public health
resources as compared to the rest of the population. This opportunity gave me great
insight into the healthcare system in the Dominican Republic and allowed me to do a
comparative analysis of it with that of the United States. I hope to attend once again
during my OMS-II spring break. Additionally, as the newly elected president of our
International Osteopathic Medicine Organization (IOMO) at MSUCOM, I will continue
to be an advocate for global health alongside other osteopathic medical students in
an effort to mitigate disparities in healthcare that exist around the world."
"I would like to sincerely thank SOMA Foundation and Power of a Nickel for conferring
me the International Medical Mission Trip Scholarship. This scholarship will help
cover travel and lodging costs incurred during my recent trip to San Pedro de
Macorís, Dominican Republic this past February. This was my first medical service
elective to the island nation, although my primary interests in global health lie within
Latin America. While in the Dominican Republic, I participated alongside fifteen
osteopathic medical students and four physicians from MSUCOM to help diagnose,
treat, and educate patients in rural communities. During our tenure there, we were
able to serve upwards of 400 individuals, most of whom lived in bateys. Most of the
individuals treated in the bateys were of Haitian origins and were brought over to
the Dominican Republic to work in the sugarcane fields. When brought over, many
were stripped of citizenship and left in desolate conditions with fewer public health
resources as compared to the rest of the population. This opportunity gave me great
insight into the healthcare system in the Dominican Republic and allowed me to do a
comparative analysis of it with that of the United States. I hope to attend once again
during my OMS-II spring break. Additionally, as the newly elected president of our
International Osteopathic Medicine Organization (IOMO) at MSUCOM, I will continue
to be an advocate for global health alongside other osteopathic medical students in
an effort to mitigate disparities in healthcare that exist around the world."
Anna Tran, OMS III, Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine - Middletown
A few words from Student Doctor Anna Tran on the importance of receiving the International Medical Mission Trip Scholarship:
"I would like to thank you and The Power of a Nickel organization for granting me such a
generous scholarship to participate in an international service-learning experience. It is such an
honor to receive this award and to be able to use it for good. This award removes a significant
financial burden from me and thus makes this trip feasible. I look forward to going back to the
Philippines, where my family is from and serving there. I also look forward to sharing my
experiences from the trip with you. I am so very grateful for your generosity. Thank you again!"
"I would like to thank you and The Power of a Nickel organization for granting me such a
generous scholarship to participate in an international service-learning experience. It is such an
honor to receive this award and to be able to use it for good. This award removes a significant
financial burden from me and thus makes this trip feasible. I look forward to going back to the
Philippines, where my family is from and serving there. I also look forward to sharing my
experiences from the trip with you. I am so very grateful for your generosity. Thank you again!"