Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine Awards 2021 Sullivan 180 Medical Scholarship

Award Aims to Improve Local Health Outcomes by Recognizing Exceptional Students Committed to Serving the Community; Alexa Walsh Named Recipient of Prestigious Scholarship

Middletown, New York — Alexa Walsh, a third-year student at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (TouroCOM), was named recipient of the 2021 Sullivan 180 Medical Scholarship, TouroCOM Executive Dean Kenneth Steier announced today. This award promotes the practice of medicine in underserved areas by offering tuition assistance to a TouroCOM Middletown student who has demonstrated financial need, outstanding academic work and dedication to improving the health of the local community.

Walsh, a teaching assistant and student ambassador, was awarded the scholarship for her interest in practicing rural medicine in Sullivan County, New York. She will receive a $10,000 grant towards tuition expenses for her third and fourth years at TouroCOM.

“TouroCOM’s mission is to train osteopathic physicians to practice medicine in underserved communities,” said Dr. Steier. “This scholarship aligns with our efforts to educate the next generation of physicians who value and support public service and strive to improve health outcomes in the Hudson Valley. Alexa Walsh is an excellent choice for recipient of the new scholarship.”

Dedicated to the field of osteopathic medicine, Walsh is an active member of the Touro community through her excellent academic standing and various leadership roles.

Walsh served as class representative, teaching assistant for histology and pathology, secretary of the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA), student liaison for the Master’s Program and volunteered for COVID-19 vaccine site testing. Currently, she is the chief medical student for Garnet and an Area Health Education Consortium (AHEC) Scholar, working on opioid abuse disorder education and prevention in underserved areas within the Hudson and Catskill regions.

“Osteopathic medicine had interested me since the day I began researching it while I was an undergrad. However, it wasn’t until I began my time at Touro that I truly understood osteopathy. We are taught to not only take care of our patients with the utmost respect, but also to respect and help our classmates and community members in the Middletown area. I’m native to Orange County, so I’m very happy to have been given the opportunity to learn clinical skills at Garnet Health Medical Center. This experience has only heightened my excitement to one day give back to the community by practicing in the Orange and Sullivan areas that have helped me become the person I am today,” said Walsh.

The scholarship was created by Sullivan 180, a nonprofit organization devoted to turning around the health and well-being of Sullivan County, with an inclusive approach uniting the entire community.

View announcement on Touro College website.

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine Awards First Ever Sullivan 180 Medical Scholarship

Award aims to improve local health outcomes by recognizing exceptional students committed to serving the community; Samantha Michalek named recipient of inaugural scholarship

[Middletown, New York ] – October 5, 2020 – Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (TouroCOM) has announced the recipient of the newly established Sullivan 180 Medical Scholarship Program. This award promotes the practice of medicine in underserved areas by offering tuition assistance to a TouroCOM Middletown student who has demonstrated financial need, outstanding academic work, and dedication to improving the health of the local community.

Middletown native and third-year student, Samantha Michalek, has been awarded the scholarship for her interest in practicing rural medicine in and around Sullivan County, New York. Ms. Michalek will receive a $10,000 grant towards tuition expenses for her third and fourth years at TouroCOM.

“The foundation of TouroCOM’s mission is to train osteopathic physicians to practice medicine in underserved communities,” said Dr. Kenneth Steier, the Executive Dean of TouroCOM. “This scholarship perfectly aligns with our efforts to educate the next generation of physicians who value and support public service and strive to improve health outcomes of local communities. Ms. Michalek greatly represents this objective and is an excellent choice for recipient of the new scholarship.”

“The purpose of the Sullivan 180 Medical Scholarship is to encourage and incentivize the next generation of doctors to practice in our local community,” said Sandra Gerry, Founding Chair of Sullivan 180. “Given Samantha’s accomplishments and genuine interest in improving Sullivan County’s access to health care, we are delighted to have her as the inaugural recipient.”

Dedicated to the field of osteopathic medicine, Ms. Michalek is an active member of the Touro community through her excellent academic standing and various leadership roles. Ms. Michalek served as Vice President of the Student American Academy of Osteopathy, where she organized events to educate the Middletown community on manipulative treatments, and participated in the Hospice Immersion Program to further research the role of practitioners in hospice homes.

The scholarship was created by Sullivan 180, a nonprofit organization devoted to turning around the health and well-being of Sullivan County with an inclusive approach uniting the entire community.

The Touro College and University System

Touro is a system of non-profit institutions of higher and professional education. Touro College was chartered in 1970 primarily to enrich the Jewish heritage, and to serve the larger American and global community. Approximately 19,200 students are currently enrolled in its various schools and divisions. Touro College has 30 campuses and locations in New York, California, Nevada, Berlin, Jerusalem and Moscow. New York Medical College; Touro University California and Touro University Nevada; Touro University Worldwide and its Touro College Los Angeles division; as well as Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, Ill. are separately accredited institutions within the Touro College and University System. For further information on Touro College, please go to: www.touro.edu/news

Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (TouroCOM) is a division of the private, non-profit Touro College and University System. The medical school’s main campus is located in Central Harlem and an additional campus is in Middletown, New York. TouroCOM is committed to training osteopathic physicians with a particular emphasis on practicing medicine in underserved communities and increasing the number of underrepresented minorities in medicine.