Due to the great generosity of Ed Loniewski, DO and his wife, Melissa, it is possible for students to receive up to $1000 to cover transportation, room, board and essential expenses while doing an elective rotation in a medically underserved location. Rotation sites are selected by the student and approved by the Office of Clinical Education. Students may be able to find, but are not limited to choosing, health professional shortage area (HPSA) sites by searching the following website http://ask.hrsa.gov. The completion of this rotation must be during the student's 3rd or 4th year of study only and in the academic year of the initial application.

A student who wishes to apply must complete and submit an application form, verification form and curriculum vitae to National SOMA. Recipients will be selected at the discretion of the Director of the Program for the Medically Underserved, and approved by the Board of Trustees of National SOMA. Any questions should be brought to your local SOMA PMU representative or to the National PMU Director. The National PMU Director for (2008-2009 is Michael A. Ruzek) can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . SOMA would like to thank the Merck Company Foundation for their generosity and support in previous years for the PMU Scholarship. The Medically Underserved Scholarship Program is funded by Ed Loniewski, DO and his wife, Melissa. Dr. Loniewski is a SOMA alumnus and SOMA welcomes him as the primary sponsor.

For additional information please see the scholarships page.