Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine Awards 2021 Sullivan 180 Medical Scholarship
Award Aims to Improve Local Health Outcomes by Recognizing Exceptional Students Committed to Serving the Community; Alexa Walsh Named Recipient of Prestigious Scholarship
Middletown, New York — Alexa Walsh, a third-year student at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (TouroCOM), was named recipient of the 2021 Sullivan 180 Medical Scholarship, TouroCOM Executive Dean Kenneth Steier announced today. This award promotes the practice of medicine in underserved areas by offering tuition assistance to a TouroCOM Middletown student who has demonstrated financial need, outstanding academic work and dedication to improving the health of the local community.
Walsh, a teaching assistant and student ambassador, was awarded the scholarship for her interest in practicing rural medicine in Sullivan County, New York. She will receive a $10,000 grant towards tuition expenses for her third and fourth years at TouroCOM.
“TouroCOM’s mission is to train osteopathic physicians to practice medicine in underserved communities,” said Dr. Steier. “This scholarship aligns with our efforts to educate the next generation of physicians who value and support public service and strive to improve health outcomes in the Hudson Valley. Alexa Walsh is an excellent choice for recipient of the new scholarship.”
Dedicated to the field of osteopathic medicine, Walsh is an active member of the Touro community through her excellent academic standing and various leadership roles.
Walsh served as class representative, teaching assistant for histology and pathology, secretary of the Student Osteopathic Medical Association (SOMA), student liaison for the Master’s Program and volunteered for COVID-19 vaccine site testing. Currently, she is the chief medical student for Garnet and an Area Health Education Consortium (AHEC) Scholar, working on opioid abuse disorder education and prevention in underserved areas within the Hudson and Catskill regions.
“Osteopathic medicine had interested me since the day I began researching it while I was an undergrad. However, it wasn’t until I began my time at Touro that I truly understood osteopathy. We are taught to not only take care of our patients with the utmost respect, but also to respect and help our classmates and community members in the Middletown area. I’m native to Orange County, so I’m very happy to have been given the opportunity to learn clinical skills at Garnet Health Medical Center. This experience has only heightened my excitement to one day give back to the community by practicing in the Orange and Sullivan areas that have helped me become the person I am today,” said Walsh.
The scholarship was created by Sullivan 180, a nonprofit organization devoted to turning around the health and well-being of Sullivan County, with an inclusive approach uniting the entire community.
