Myrtle Siegfried, MD, and Michael Vigilante, MD, Scholarship
Offered by The Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society
About this scholarship
The Myrtle Siegfried, MD, and Michael Vigilante, MD, Scholarship awards $2,500 to one qualified first-year medical student for 2026-2027. Established in 1999 through a memorial contribution from Elena Pascal and Carla Vigilante, the fund honors their parents, two physicians who practiced in Allentown for more than 50 years. The Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society administers the current application. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and must have lived in Berks, Lehigh, or Northampton County, Pennsylvania, for at least 12 months before registering as medical students. They must be entering their first year and enrolled full time at a fully accredited medical school in the United States. The direct application requires a completed form, two reference letters from people other than family members, and a medical-school verification letter on official letterhead. References should document the candidate’s integrity, interpersonal skills, and potential as a future physician. Applicants also write an essay of no more than 750 words explaining why they chose medicine and the contributions they expect to make to the health profession. Applications opened July 1 and close September 30, 2026. The committee expects to notify applicants by November 1.
Eligibility
- Be a United States citizen
- Have resided in Berks, Lehigh, or Northampton County, Pennsylvania, for at least 12 months before registering as a medical student
- Be entering the first year of medical school
- Be enrolled full time at a fully accredited United States medical school
- Submit two reference letters from people who are not family members
- Provide a medical-school letter on letterhead verifying full-time first-year enrollment
- Write an essay of 750 words or fewer about choosing medicine and expected contributions to the health profession
- Submit the complete application by September 30, 2026