Southern Medical Association’s Physicians-in-Training Committee is pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 SMA Scholarships! These scholarships are funded annually through the support of donations to SMA’s Research and Education Endowment Fund and SMA’s Southern Legacy Endowment Program. 

Congratulations to this year’s scholarship recipients who together received more than $13,000 in scholarship funds and thank you to our generous donors who made these awards possible.

Lt. Col. Laurence Carter Legacy Scholarship Award –  $6,500.00

Emma Schnittka is a 4th-year medical student at the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine.  She has interests in community health, women’s health, and gastroenterology, and is applying for internal medicine residency in the 2024 Match.

Society of 1906 Scholarship Award – $2,500.00

Lachlan Shiver attends the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine in Tampa, Florida and intends on specializing in internal medicine-pediatrics. An avid runner, Lachan competed for USF's track and field team during his first year of medical school before honing his skills as a narrative medicine writer and clinical researcher. He has led multiple research projects and has presented his findings at nationwide medical conferences, including the American Diabetes Association and the Society of Urological Oncology. Lachlan is also a passionate narrative medicine writer and writes op-med editorial pieces for the social media website Doximity. After residency, he is planning for a career in academic medicine and aspires to use narrative medicine as a way to advocate for patients and improve healthcare outcomes. 

Society of 1924 Scholarship Award – $2.500.00

Kelly Chau is a fourth-year MD/MDH student at the Louisiana State University Health and Sciences Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. She graduated from Tulane University in 2020 with degrees in cell and molecular biology as well as public health. Her study focus is behavioral and community health, with clinical interests in obstetrics and gynecology. She is passionate about reproductive health and justice, as well as sexual education access expansion.

Karan Pastora Legacy Scholarship Award –  $1,250.00

Ruby Arora is a fourth-year medical student at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, Louisiana and is originally from Memphis, Tennessee. She is passionate about working with the student-run free clinics at Tulane and doing health equity work.  Ruby is also interested in clinical research given her prior job as a research coordinator before medical school.  She plans to complete residency in internal medicine and eventually become an academic oncologist.  Outside of school, ruby enjoys cycling, cooking, and reading.

Rose Kuplesky Legacy Scholarship Award – $500.00

Kenneth Paik is a fourth-year medical student at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine in Birmingham, Alabama, and he has a keen interest in pursuing a career in internal medicine. Over the past year, he has had the privilege of being a part of SMA’s Physicians-in-Training Committee which has allowed him to establish valuable connections in the field. Kenneth says he is truly grateful for the opportunities and scholarship provided by SMA, as this has played a pivotal role in advancing his career in both research and education.