Mercer Health Medical Staff awarded its 2022 Mercer Health Medical Staff Scholarship to Madison Rose-Malkamaki, a Coldwater High School graduate currently working toward her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree at Ohio University.

Rose-Malkamaki was selected as the scholarship recipient based on her academic merit and desire to improve health literacy in the community. “I want to be involved in health education. This includes participating in events that aim to improve health literacy in the community,” Rose-Malkamaki said. “It is imperative that we empower the community to be advocates of their own health.”

The Mercer Health Medical Student Scholarship program was initiated in 2020 and awards $2,000 annually to a medical school student who has shown a strong connection to Mercer Health or the surrounding communities.  The scholarship is awarded for a one-year period and provided directly to the student.

Mercer Health’s medical staff looks forward to giving back to additional medical students as the scholarship program continues. “Across our country and right here in west central Ohio, rural hospitals play an essential and integral role in the healthcare system, providing significant contributions to the well-being of the communities we serve,” Dr. Stefanie Moeller, Mercer Health internal medicine provider, said. “Our goal is to give back to students, especially those who are interested in supporting our rural communities as a physician—and in other ways.”

To be considered for the scholarship, applicants must be a resident of the United States who is currently enrolled as a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th year medical student in an accredited MD/DO school located in the United States. Applicant must either be a resident of Mercer County or one of the adjacent counties for at least 12 months prior to registering as a medical student or have participated in a rotation at Mercer Health. Applications for the 2023 scholarship are now being accepted. Participants must apply online by October 1, 2023 and submit transcript of their medical school courses/grades and a letter, on school letterhead, from the applicant’s medical school verifying that he/she is enrolled full time as a medical student at that institution.

For more information about Mercer Health’s Medical Student Scholarship, visit mercer-health.com/foundation or contact Deb Hemmelgarn, MED Foundation director, at dhemmelgarn@mercer-health.com or 419-678-5679.