The Minority Medical Student Award Program (MMSAP) is structured around an 8- to 12-week research experience for students from the United States and Canada in their early years of medical school. Each year, up to 10 minority medical students enrolled in DO, MD, or MD/PhD programs are selected to participate. During their involvement with the program, each student is paired with a mentor who focuses on the research experience and a mentor who serves as a career development advisor. The students remain involved with ASH throughout medical school and residency to keep them engaged in the study of hematology and to help them attain valuable knowledge in the field. In addition, students who participate in this program may apply for one additional research experience the following year.

Financial Support

In addition to financial support, participants receive complimentary subscriptions to Blood, the journal of the American Society of Hematology, as well as The Hematologist, the Society's newsletter, during their medical school and residency years.

Eligibility

For the purposes of this program, minority is defined as those groups that the grantor organization has determined to be underrepresented in the field of hematology related to biomedical, behavioral, clinical, or social science research. This definition includes, but is not limited to, racial/ethnic minorities and persons from disadvantaged socioeconomic groups. Thus, applicants must self-identify, and participants are drawn from this pool.

Applicants must be enrolled in DO, MD, or MD/PhD medical school programs and be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or Canada.

Presentation at the ASH Annual Meeting

An important component of the MMSAP is the presentation of the summer research project at the Promoting Minorities in Hematology Reception at the ASH annual meeting in December. MMSAP recipients are expected to attend the annual meeting to present their research project. MMSAP recipients will receive a $1,000 stipend to cover the costs of travel and housing at the annual meeting as well as an additional $1,000 for presentation at the meeting.

Application and Review Process

All candidates must complete a program application and submit it along with the requested supporting documentation. Applications submitted by the deadline will be reviewed by the Ad Hoc Minority Committee. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered. Applicants selected for participation and their mentors will receive official notification of acceptance. Students selected to participate in the MMSAP are announced in late April.

MMSAP Application Instructions

Past Participants of the Minority Medical School Award Program

Mentors

Research Mentors are ASH members who will assume the responsibilities of overseeing the participant's work and progress. The research experience can occur at the applicant's home institution or at another institution that has agreed to host the MMSAP participant. Applicants may identify the research mentor they wish to work with. If an applicant is not sure if their mentor is a member of ASH they should send an e-mail to Elisa Shea, Awards Manager, at awards@hematology.org.

If a student is interested in applying but does not have a mentor and host institution arranged, they may request to be matched with a mentor by ASH staff. To request to be matched with a mentor, e-mail Elisa Shea at awards@hematology.org.

Career development mentors are ASH members who must be available to participate for the duration of the program. Participants will be paired with a career development mentor by the ASH Ad Hoc Minority Committee. To volunteer as a mentor, please fill out the MMSAP Mentor Volunteer Form and return it to Elisa Shea at awards@hematology.org.

Submission

Program applications must be received, in hard copy, by the deadline. Applications should be mailed to:

The American Society of Hematology
Attn: MMSAP Program
2021 L Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-776-0544

Please do not staple the application together – please use a binder clip instead.  For the application to be reviewed, all required sections must be completed and submitted with the following items:

1. A current resume that lists:
   • Schools that you have attended, including dates, field(s) of study, and degrees earned.  Please include your GPA or other measure of class standing.
   • Post-graduate education.
   • Past research experiences, including dates, institutions, names of laboratory directors, and brief descriptions of what you accomplished.
   • Honors, awards, and memberships in honorary societies.
   • Other accomplishments (e.g., volunteer work, leadership positions, unusual experiences).
   • Publications, abstracts, and/or talks that you have presented, as well as research meetings, retreats, or similar programs that you have attended.
2. A letter of recommendation from the dean of your medical school that:
   • Confirms your academic status.
   • Accounts for any breaks in your medical school education.
   • Explains academic difficulties and any steps that have been taken to remedy them.
3. A letter of recommendation from an advisor or medical school instructor that:
   • Articulates why you are an outstanding candidate for this award.
   • Explains why participation in the MMSAP program would benefit your career development.
4. A letter of endorsement from your Research Mentor that:
   • Discusses the guidance and counsel he/she will offer you during and after the research experience.
   • Describes the environment at the institution that will host your research project.
   • Details his/her past mentoring experiences.
   • Includes a copy of his/her NIH-formatted biosketch, with current sources of funding.
5. Current/past MMSAP participants applying for a second research experience must include a letter of endorsement from their MMSAP Career Development Mentor that:
   • Discusses the guidance and counsel he/she has offered you during your participation in the program.
   • Highlights the progress of your career.
   • Includes a copy of his/her NIH-formatted biosketch.

Recommendation and endorsement letters must be on institutional letterhead with original signatures.  Applications must be received at ASH Headquarters by Thursday, March 4, 2010. Late or incomplete applications will not be reviewed.

Applications must be submitted in paper format (hard copy). Applications sent by e-mail or fax will not be accepted. Late applications will not be accepted.

ASH is extremely grateful to Genentech BioOncology for its commitment to and support of the MMSAP. The $500,000 grant provided by Genentech will ensure the continuation of this important program through 2009, thus allowing students to gain intimate and valuable knowledge of the field of hematology and help them further their medical careers.

Questions?

Questions or requests for additional information regarding the MMSAP can be directed to Elisa Shea, ASH Awards Manager, at awards@hematology.org or by phone at 202-776-0544.

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