James S. Westra Memorial Endowment Fund
PURPOSE
To provide selected medical and dental students with clinical
experiences in mission settings that will enable them to become familiar
with the cultural, social and medical problems in developing countries
while allowing them to serve the underserved. It is also expected that
this experience will lead recipients to seek the Lord's will regarding
lifetime involvement in medical missions.
ELIGIBILITY
You must be:
1. A CMDA member (Join Now);
2. A third or fourth year medical student enrolled in a traditional four
year program in an approved US medical school;
3. Able to demonstrate financial need to enable project
participation.
METHOD OF APPLICATION
Application deadlines are April 1, August 1 and December
1. The trip date must follow the deadline by at
least 30 days to allow ample time for processing. A letter of
reference from the applicant's pastor is required to complete the
application*. Applications mailed in must be typewritten
and addressed to:
James S. Westra Memorial Endowment Fund
CMDA
PO Box 7500
Bristol, TN 37621-7500
AWARDS
Awards will be announced by E-mail one month after each
deadline. The amount of the grant is for transportation and
project-related expenses up to $500.
CONDITIONS
Funds must be used for participation in a missionary medical
preceptorship, clerkship, or similar experience of two weeks or more in
duration arranged by the student for completion within twelve months
from the date of award.
Recipients are required to submit a typewritten report to CMDA within
sixty days after completion of the overseas experience, including
photographs if possible. The report should contain a summary of
activities and an assessment of the value of the experience for the
student. Both the report and photos will be kept on file here unless
specified otherwise. The recipient is also asked to write a letter of
appreciation to the donor. This should be included in the report so that
it can be forwarded to the donor.
Due to limited funding, this program is not intended to duplicate
other award programs where funding has been given. Where partial funding
has been provided from other sources, our award would be limited to the
amount necessary to meet (but not exceed) full travel and
project-related expenses. If full funding has been provided by other
organizations, churches, mission board or foundation awards, applicants
are requested to notify the Christian Medical & Dental Associations
immediately, withdrawing their application in order that other
applicants may be funded.
To apply online, please go
here.
*Applicant must ask their pastor to submit a letter of reference to the
executive assistant via email, fax or postal mail. The application will
not be considered until the reference is received.
Debra Deyton, Executive Assistant
PO Box 7500, Bristol, TN 37621-7500
Phone: (423) 844-1000
Fax: (423) 844-1017
E-Mail: debra@cmda.org.