Your Gift to NMF Changes Lives

1 Support students today

Your gift makes a difference in the lives of talented students who are struggling to pay for medical school. NMF scholarships bring financial relief, and a powerful message: “We believe in you.”

  • NMF scholarships go to students who come from families of modest income—many from families who live below the poverty line. These students make a great sacrifice to attend medical school and incur a high level of debt on their way to becoming physicians. 
  • NMF scholarships are life-changing. Every year we hear of students who are at risk of dropping out of medical school in their final years, when finances are the most strained—and every other source of assistance has been exhausted. We hear of students who cannot afford the application fees and other costs of achieving a residency. To these students, even a few thousand dollars makes an incredible difference. Your support means that we can be there to support our students when they need it most.
  • NMF not only helps students afford medical school, but also provide grants to help students expand their career horizons and explore new opportunities such as those in academia, research, and policy. Participation in an NMF leadership or service-learning program can transform a student’s career.
  • Many of our alumni say that they still remember what a difference that check from NMF made, early in their careers—how they rushed to the bank with relief and a sense of validation. 

2 Advance excellence in medicine—and a new generation of physician leaders

Your gift to NMF helps build a new generation of physician leaders, who will bring excellence to all areas of medicine and public health.

This is not just a hope: it is a promise. For more than 75 years, NMF has built generations of leaders whose impact is felt today, in medical practice, in medical education, and in their lasting contributions to hospitals and other health care institutions.

  • NMF has a strong track record of identifying leaders early in their careers. We have provided financial support and mentoring to more than 32,000 students who have gone on to serve in all areas of medicine and public health.
  • NMF alumni are:
    • leaders in primary care and community health center practices across the nation;
    • distinguished researchers in major academic medicine centers;
    • leaders in government (two served as Surgeon General);
    • leaders in philanthropy (including the CEOs of some of the largest healthcare foundations in the U.S.); and
    • leaders and innovators in the corporate sector (including CEOs of leading multi-state health care organizations).
    • presidents and deans in medical colleges and professional schools, who are shaping the future of medical education and the diversity of the physician workforce for generations to come; and
    • officers in major health care corporations, who are making diversity and inclusion a foundation of creative business practice, nationwide.

3 Build a more equitable health care system—to deliver better care for impoverished and underserved communities

Almost everyone recognizes the critical need to make health care more accessible—and many of us are working on the ground to make that happen. Your gift to NMF will help us meet that goal: NMF supports Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) medical students who are statistically more likely than others to practice in undeserved communities, and to speak for those who do not have a voice in our health care system.

  • Your gift to NMF will help fund scholarships and other opportunities for medical students who are committed to “giving back” to their communities.
  • This will have an impact on our health care system now and in the years to come. Research shows that physicians of color have an outsized role in providing care to underserved populations—including BIPOC and non-English speaking patients. For example, low income patients are one-and-a-half to tiimes times more likely to be cared for by Black, Hispanic and Asian physicians.
  • Many of NMF’s leadership and service-learning programs are designed for students who are preparing to practice in areas of greatest need—in community health centers, safety-net hospitals and other health care settings that serve those with the greatest need.
  • Your gift will have an immediate impact in strengthening NMF’s scholarship and career mentoring programs for students who are committed to practicing in underserved communities. As these students graduate, they will realize their own dreams of giving back to their communities. And the impact of your gift will continue to grow.