Cheryl Portman Scholarship Application

All applications must be submitted by October 29th, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.

The Cheryl Portman Rural Medicine Scholarship was established to reduce the financial burden of medical education while encouraging the next generation of physicians to serve rural and underserved communities. Through financial support and mentorship opportunities, the scholarship seeks to attract, develop, and retain talented medical students who demonstrate a commitment to providing high-quality healthcare in communities throughout northwest Missouri and the broader Mosaic service area.

The scholarship honors the legacy of Cheryl Portman, who dedicated more than 22 years to Mosaic and served as Director of Provider Talent Management. Throughout her career, Cheryl was a passionate advocate for physician recruitment and rural healthcare access, helping recruit more than 300 physicians and 190 advanced practice providers to the region. Her work strengthened healthcare services across countless communities and reflected a deep belief that where a person lives should never limit access to exceptional medical care.

In recognition of Cheryl's unwavering commitment to rural medicine and workforce development, this scholarship invests in future physicians who share her passion for service, community connection, and improving access to healthcare. By supporting medical students who have roots in rural communities or who demonstrate a desire to practice in those communities, the scholarship advances Cheryl's vision of building a strong and sustainable rural healthcare workforce for generations to come.

• Senior medical student who is actively enrolled and in good standing at an accredited medical school.
• Completed or actively scheduled to complete at least one clinical rotation or approved clinical experience at Mosaic Life Care.
• Demonstrates a sincere interest in rural medicine and/or future practice in a rural or underserved community.
• Submits a complete application by the published deadline, including required essay, college transcript, verification of enrollment, and one letter of recommendation.
• Have no unresolved professionalism, academic integrity, or disciplinary concerns that would affect eligibility.
• Finalists will be invited to participate in an in-person interview with Mosaic leadership and board members as part of the scholarship review process.

The scholarship will be awarded to a minimum of one student each academic year. The award amount will be a minimum of $10,000 for the 2026 calendar year. Funds for scholarship winners will be paid directly to the recipients accredited medical school and not directly to the student.

Upload one letter of recommendation. Each letter must include date of letter, the author’s name, relationship to applicant, professional title of employment and employment place.
Example: Month/Day/Year | Dr. John Smith, M.D. - General Surgeon | ABC Hospital | 1234 Elm St., City, State, Zip

1. Personal Information
2. Educational Information
3. Essay Questions
4. College transcript
5. Current CV/Resume
6. Proof of enrollment in accredited graduate program
7. One reference letter from an attending physician

Failure to provide a complete application with uploads will be automatic disqualification.

Uploaded documents must be in pdf format. Any other format will automatically disqualify the application.