Announcing the Scholarship Award in Vision and Medicine (SAVM) for High School Students

Dear Colleagues:

I would like to alert you to the Scholarship Award in Vision and Medicine (SAVM) for talented, ambitious, and self-motivated graduating high school seniors. A total of 7 scholarships will be awarded. Award amounts range from $2,500 to $5,000. Additionally, the high schools that nominated the recipients of the SAVM scholarships will receive $500 for use in their science departments. The scholarships are made possible, in part, through the generous contribution of the Alcon Foundation, Inc. and support from the University of Missouri-Columbia.

SAVM is committed to offering scholarships to students from underrepresented minority groups or students who are economically disadvantaged, thereby encouraging these students to seek careers in medicine and visual sciences. SAVM also seeks to bolster the awareness of the existing need for physicians and scientists from underrepresented minority and economically disadvantaged groups.

Applicants must

• Have a minimum cumulative weighted GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (or the equivalent),
• Have a minimum new SAT score of 1500 (verbal + math + writing) or a minimum ACT score of 21,
• Complete the online application for the Scholarship Award in Vision and Medicine (http://som.missouri.edu/Ophthalmology/SAVM/),
• Submit a 1500 to 1700 word essay (approximately 3 pages).

All documentation and accompanying information should be submitted by the deadline date of April 1, 2010. If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. We look forward to submissions from students at your school.

Sincerely,

Lenworth N. Johnson, MD (neuro-ophthalmologist)
Professor of Ophthalmology & Neurology
Ophthalmology Residency Program Director
Mason Eye Institute
University of Missouri-Columbia
1 Hospital Drive
Columbia, MO 65212
Tele # (573) 449-5656
E-mail: SAVM@health.missouri.edu