ACOFP Student Awards

The ACOFP Student Awards Program—comprised of the Osteopathic Family Medicine Student Awards, the Emerging Osteopathic Student Leader Awards and the Marie Wiseman Outstanding Osteopathic Student of the Year Award—recognizes osteopathic medical students who demonstrate excellence, leadership and community service in family medicine. The awards provide osteopathic medical students with money to help defray medical school and/or personal expenses, while affirming the recipient’s activities and outstanding leadership within the association. The Auxiliary to the ACOFP reviews applications and selects the award recipients.

Award Descriptions

Osteopathic Family Medicine Student Awards ($1,000)

The Osteopathic Family Medicine Student Awards identify osteopathic medical students who have an interest in family medicine, as well as ACOFP. These annual awards provide osteopathic medical students with $1,000 each to help defray medical school and/or personal expenses. 

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Emerging Osteopathic Student Leader Awards ($2,500)

The Emerging Osteopathic Student Leader Awards identify emerging osteopathic student leaders in osteopathic family medicine and ACOFP. These annual awards provide osteopathic medical students with $2,500 to help defray medical school and/or personal expenses, and to affirm the recipients’ interest in association leadership.

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Marie Wiseman Outstanding Osteopathic Student of the Year Award ($5,000)

The Marie Wiseman Outstanding Osteopathic Student of the Year Award recognizes an osteopathic medical student who demonstrates strong philanthropic and community service. This award was created to carry on Mrs. Wiseman’s deep concern for and desire to help students’ financial needs, providing one osteopathic medical student with $5,000 to help defray medical school and/or personal expenses, while recognizing the recipient’s activities and outstanding community service within ACOFP.

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Application Checklist

For your application to be considered, the following items must be submitted:

• Completed application
• Current curriculum vitae
• At least one (1) letter of recommendation from an active ACOFP physician member
• 500-word essay
• An additional 250-word essay if applying for the Emerging Osteopathic Student Leader Award or the Marie Wiseman Outstanding Osteopathic Student of the Year Award
• Headshot suitable for publication

Essay Requirements

All Essays

The 500-word maximum essay should reflect on your goals and aspirations as they relate to your osteopathic philosophy, why you are a qualified candidate and why you should be considered for the award. In this essay, you should include an activity or even that has made a positive impact in your community or school, citing your level of participation or leadership in the activity, as well as any plans to adapt that experience to the care of your future patients. Alternatively, you may share your involvement with a local, national or international philanthropic or charitable service organization.

Additional Essays

Award Criteria

To be considered for all ACOFP student awards, applicants must:

• Be currently enrolled and in good standing at a COCA-accredited college of osteopathic medicine (COM).
• Be a current ACOFP member in good standing (free for students).
• Be a member of their COM’s Student Association of the ACOFP chapter (only applicable to students at schools with an affiliated chapter).
• Be active within their Student Association of the ACOFP chapter for at least one year (only applicable to students at schools with an affiliated chapter).
• Plan to apply for a family medicine residency with osteopathic recognition.

In addition, to be considered for the Emerging Osteopathic Student Leader Awards or Marie Wiseman Outstanding Osteopathic Student of the Year Award, applicants must:

• Have attended at least one state ACOFP conference or ACOFP Annual Convention & Scientific Seminars—virtual or in-person. If their state does not have an ACOFP state society, attendance at an AOA state conference meets this requirement.
• Currently hold a leadership position with an ACOFP student chapter or the National Student Executive Board, or hold a leadership position with a local, national or international philanthropic organization.

Additional eligibility requirements apply to each award based on past award status.

• If an applicant has previously received an Osteopathic Family Medicine Student Award:
  • They are not eligible for consideration of a 2023 Osteopathic Family Medicine Student Award.
  • They are eligible for a 2023 Emerging Osteopathic Student Leader Award.
  • They are eligible for the 2023 Marie Wiseman Outstanding Osteopathic Student of the Year Award.
• If an applicant has previously received an Emerging Osteopathic Student Leader Award:
  • They are not eligible for consideration of a 2023 Osteopathic Family Medicine Student Award.
  • They are not eligible for a 2023 Emerging Osteopathic Student Leader Award.
  • They are eligible for the 2023 Marie Wiseman Outstanding Osteopathic Student of the Year Award.
• If an applicant has previously received the Marie Wiseman Outstanding Osteopathic Student of the Year Award, they are not eligible to apply.