A $20,000 scholarship has been established to support a medical student at the West Virginia University School of Medicine.
The Dr. and Mrs. Phillip Mathias Mountaineer Medical Scholar has been established by Phillip Mathias, MD, and his wife, Dolores, to support a student throughout his or her time with the School of Medicine.
Medical students graduate with an average of $190,000 in debt, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges.
The $20,000 scholarship will be matched by the School of Medicine, creating a total scholarship package of $40,000 throughout a student’s four years at WVU, eliminating some of the financial burden that students are faced with.
“When I was a student, a medical education was much less expensive,” said Dr. Mathias. “WVU was good to me and gave me the opportunity to become a doctor. My wife and I wanted to provide an opportunity for a student to graduate from medical school and pursue a career they’re passionate about without having to worry about graduating with so much debt.”
The scholarship will be awarded to a student within the School of Medicine that demonstrates academic merit and/or financial need. Preference to students from Hardy County will be given, but any student from the state of West Virginia qualifies for the scholarship.
The Mountaineer Medical Scholars program was established in 2016 by the School of Medicine to provide greater support for medical students.
With just a $20,000 commitment needed from the donor(s), the scholarship will be named after those providing the contribution or a name relevant and purposeful to the donor(s).
To learn more about the Mountaineer Medical Scholars program and supporting the School of Medicine, please contact Clare Flanagan, assistant vice president for Health Sciences Development, at 304-293-0788 or cmflanagan@hsc.wvu.edu; or contact Patricia Lonsbary, director of development for the School of Medicine at 304-293-1448 or patricia.lonsbary@hsc.wvu.edu.
The donation was made through the WVU Foundation, the non-profit corporation that generates, receives and administers private gifts for the benefit of WVU.