Announcing the Dr. Brandon Abbott Scholarship

North Country HealthCare and the Colorado Plateau Center for Health Professions are thrilled to announce the 2022 Dr. Brandon Abbott ‘To Medical Education, Mentorship and Beyond’ Scholarship! This is the scholarship‘s inaugural year; three awards will be distributed, in the amount of $1,000 each to an outstanding pre-med student, medical student and resident doctor. The intent of the scholarship is not only to offset education-related expenses, but also to focus on establishing mentorship and support throughout the student’s healthcare career journey.

Due to a shortage of primary care providers throughout the country, North Country HealthCare depends on medical students and residents to pursue careers in rural primary care medicine. It is their intention to grow candidates into extraordinary physicians to support the needs of northern Arizona’s rural communities for many years to come.

To be eligible applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Current senior pre-med student attending Northern Arizona University (or graduated from NAU with an intent to apply to medical school); 3rd year medical student at A.T. Still Universty School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona (ATSU-SOMA) serving northern Arizona; or a 3rd year resident employed with North Country HealthCare
• Demonstrates a commitment in practicing primary care medicine (non-specialty) in rural and underserved communities
• Community health center-driven and planning to serve North Country HealthCare

Funding may be used for:

• Tuition assistance or loan payoff
• Living expenses (while enrolled or employed with North Country HealthCare as a medical student or resident)
• Expenses related to education such as college admission testing fees, additional educational opportunities, and residency application fees/interview travel, etc.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to establish a scholarship fund that cultivates a culture of mentorship and supports students and residents on this transformative journey to becoming a physician,” said Brandon Abbott, DO, MPH. Dr. Abbott completed medical school at ATSU-SOMA and his residency at the University of Buffalo. He then returned to Arizona to care for patients at North Country HealthCare’s Flagstaff – 4th Street location. Dr. Abbott had a crucial role in establishing the NARBHA Institute Family & Community Medicine Residency at the Colorado Plateau Center for Health Professions (CPCHP). Formerly known as the Northern Arizona Area Health Education Center (NAHEC), the Colorado Plateau Center for Health Professions is the education arm of North Country HealthCare.

“My mentors were crucial to my path as a physician,” Dr. Abbott said. “I started the journey so unaware of what lay ahead. Without them, I didn’t know how to prepare for medical school, rotations, residency, and beyond. Even now, I lean into the guidance of mentors in my professional development. In addition to the scholarship’s financial assistance, I hope that award recipients will receive mentorship, enabling them to become mentors and coaches to one another throughout their mutual journeys.”

If you’d like to nominate an outstanding candidate, you can do so here. To learn more about our scholarship opportunities or to discuss a new opportunity contact our development office. If you’d like to support our scholarships, click here.