Johnson & Johnson/NMF AIM Scholarship
Established in 2021, Johnson & Johnson, has partnered with NMF to develop the Alliance for Inclusion in Medicine (AIM) program. AIM is an innovative, three-year service-learning program designed to expose high performing underrepresented medical (URM) (MD, MD/PhD, DO, DO/PhD) students to skill sets that will prepare them to become future clinician and research leaders with a commitment to address the structural and systemic factors, which cause the health disparities that disproportionately affect communities of color. The program will expose students to various functions within the pharmaceutical, medical devices, and health care industries where physicians play a key role. In addition, students will also gain exposure to topics such as public speaking, presentation skills, effective interviewing, innovation, etc., over the course of the program.
Applications for Cohort 3 will open in the summer of 2024.
*Previously known as Johnson & Johnson/ NMF Future Leaders Scholarship Program
Program Goal
The goal of this three-year program is to expose diverse medical students to career opportunities within Pharmaceutical Medicine and introduce analytical and professional skills that will prepare students to become clinicians and researchers of tomorrow, empowered to address health disparities.
Program Structure
This scholarship program provides $5,000 for the first year, $10,000 for the second year, and $10,000 for the third year of the program. Additional financial support also is provided, including reimbursement of USMLE related expenses (up to $2,500).
In year one, the program includes a series of didactic training sessions covering topics such as drug development, drug safety, statistics, real world evidence, scientific publications, clinical trial protocols, epidemiology, etc. Each scholar is paired with a physician mentor who will facilitate a professional relationship and share critical career insights with the scholar throughout the three years of the program.
In year two, didactic sessions continue, and each scholar also conducts a research project, which will be developed in conjunction with their mentor. Scholars may also have an opportunity to be onsite at one of the Johnson & Johnson facilities, if public health/safety permits. While onsite, the scholars will be able to work closely with their mentors while finalizing their projects and have one on one meetings with leaders within the organization.
In year three, the program focuses on supporting scholars in their fourth year of medical school as they prepare for residency. This includes ongoing mentoring as well as value added skills trainings and support.
Program Timeline & Required Events
Program Year 1
- Orientation
- Didactic sessions (7-8 sessions)
- Mentoring sessions
Program Year 2
- Orientation
- Didactic and training Sessions (4-6 sessions focused on preparation for interviewing for residency)
- Research Project development
- Mentoring sessions/Group Mentoring
- Culminating Event – Scholar project presentations
Program Year 3
- Orientation
- Additional support, including trainings that will prepare scholars for residency/post-graduation
- Group Mentoring Sessions
Program years typically run from August - July.
Meet AIM Scholars!
Scholar Eligibility
This program serves rising second-year underrepresented medical students (MD, MD/PhD, DO, DO/PhD) and runs for three consecutive years (second, third, and fourth years of medial school).
Scholar candidates must meet the following eligibility:
- Proof of U.S. citizenship or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) approval letter
- Must be currently enrolled in an accredited medical school located in the U.S.
- Identification as an underrepresented medical student* in health care
- Demonstrated leadership early in career
- Interest in health care delivery to medically underserved communities
*NMF designates the following racial/ethnic groups as underrepresented in medicine: African American, Black, Hispanic/Latino, Native American (including American Indian/Alaska Native/Native Hawaiian), Asian American (Vietnamese and Cambodian only), and Pacific Islander.