Office of Student Engagement and Cultural Affairs

Awards and Scholarships

Application Information

Through the generous contributions of donors, OSECA administers multiple awards and scholarships that help alleviate students’ financial burdens and honor notable commitments in the areas of service and community engagement.

Visiting Clerkship Award

As an institution serving a broad patient population, the Keck School strives to recruit Residents who are committed to caring for local communities. To support this mission, OSECA offers the Visiting Clerkship Award, which provides financial assistance to fourth-year medical students.

    • The program is designed to help build a comprehensive sense of connection on the Keck campus by leveraging the array of experiences among the Trojan family and in the distinctly diverse community of greater Los Angeles.
    • The Keck School will fund a limited number of Visiting Clerkship Awards from July to November for full-time fourth-year medical students in good standing at accredited US medical schools.
    • The program will provide a stipend up to $2,000 to each recipient to help defray the costs of an away rotation.
    • Housing is the responsibility of the awardee.
    • Clerkships will last four weeks and are available in all clinical departments offering fourth-year medical student rotations.
    • Awardees will each be paired with a faculty advisor and offered opportunities to network with Keck School faculty. They will be given the opportunity to have a personal meeting with the residency program director of their clerkship. Recipients may also request to be connected with existing Resident Affinity Groups that can introduce them to the Keck School’s community and its resources.

    IMPORTANT NOTE: The Department of Emergency Medicine AND The Department of General Surgery have their own separate applications and hard deadlines. Those doing a visiting rotation with the Department of Emergency Medicine should apply for the Visiting Clerkship Award directly through their department website. For those doing a visiting rotation with the Department of General Surgery, please apply for the Visiting Clerkship Award directly through their department website.

  • Applicants must meet the following criteria to be considered:

    • Be accepted for a visiting student clerkship at the Keck School of Medicine of USC
    • Be a 4th year medical student in good academic and professional standing at an LCME accredited medical school
    • Apply for the elective using the AAMC Visiting Student Learning Opportunities (VSLO) application service
    • Upon acceptance to an elective, complete the Visiting Clerkship Award application online. Apply here starting March 10, 2025
    • Email the following supporting documents to the Keck Office of Student Engagement and Cultural Affairs (keckoseca@usc.edu):
      • One letter of recommendation
      • USMLE Transcript
      • Proof of acceptance as a visiting student at the Keck School of Medicine of USC

    Applications will be reviewed individually and awarded on a rolling basis. Once you have submitted your application, you will receive a confirmation email.

  • KSOM Office of Student Engagement and Cultural Affairs
    1975 Zonal Avenue, KAM 110
    Los Angeles, CA 90033
    323-442-1050
    keckoseca@usc.edu

Distinction in Community Service Award

The Distinction in Community Service is an honor given to Keck medical students who have exemplary accomplishments in community service and health system enhancement. Students may demonstrate their commitment to these areas through either breadth or depth of service.

  • The application and selection process for the Distinction in Community Service takes place annually in the Spring semester of the academic year. Students are awarded the distinction only once during their time at Keck. (Note: Students who are not awarded the distinction upon their initial application may re-apply the following year, provided that they continue to meet the eligibility criteria.)

    This award does not include any financial component.

  • To be considered, students must:

    • Be in their 3rd year or later in the MD or MD/PhD program
    • Be currently enrolled and in good standing
    • Have a strong record of service (community, health system enhancement, etc.)
    • A one-page statement describing the student’s advocacy and contributions to health system enhancements and/or work with community service organizations for the betterment of the community and/or patients’ lives while in medical school.
    • A curriculum vitae highlighting the aforementioned advocacy and contributions.
    • A letter of support from a faculty or community organization member with whom you have worked supporting your application for Distinction in Community Service. The letter should be sent directly from the letter writer to Mandy Garcia (mandygar@usc.edu).
    • If you are interested in being considered as a nominee for this award, please submit all the application components via email to Mandy Garcia (mandygar@usc.edu).

  • Questions? Contact Mandy Garcia (mandygar@usc.edu).