Dr. Satish and Rupal Shah Family Scholarship

About this scholarship

The Dr. Satish and Rupal Shah Family Scholarship awards $3,400 to one Penn State College of Medicine student for the 2026-2027 academic year. Drs. Satish and Rupal Shah established the scholarship in honor and memory of their parents, Amratlal and Chandraknta Shah, and The Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society administers the application. Candidates must be U.S. citizens and must have been Pennsylvania residents for at least 12 months before registering as medical students; time spent in the state solely for undergraduate or graduate education does not count. The committee gives preference to residents of Central Pennsylvania. Applicants must be enrolled full time at Penn State College of Medicine. The award-specific portal requires the completed application, two reference letters from people who are not family members, and an enrollment-verification letter on medical-school letterhead. References should document the applicant’s integrity, interpersonal skills, and potential as a future physician, and at least one must be written by a medical-school professor or physician. The official directions do not list a separate essay. Applications opened July 1 and must be submitted in full by September 30, 2026. The Foundation plans to notify applicants of the committee’s decision in December.

Eligibility

• Be a United States citizen
• Have been a Pennsylvania resident for at least 12 months before registering as a medical student, excluding time there for prior college study
• Be enrolled full time at Penn State College of Medicine
• Understand that preference is given to residents of Central Pennsylvania
• Complete the award-specific online scholarship application
• Submit two nonfamily reference letters, including at least one from a medical-school professor or physician
• Provide a medical-school letter on letterhead verifying full-time enrollment
• Submit all required materials by September 30, 2026