The Harvard Medical School Financial Aid Office is pleased to continue a debt-relief scholarship program targeted to graduating HMS students who have an intention of pursuing careers in public service. The program, called the HMS Public Service Initiative, has been created as part of the graduate/professional Presidential Scholars financial aid initiative established by former President Lawrence H. Summers to make a Harvard education more accessible and affordable for talented students who wish to pursue careers in public service. The HMS Public Service Initiative is designed to relieve the loan obligation of selected graduating students of Harvard Medical School who meet the criteria listed below.

HMS students will apply to this program in their graduating year. The application process includes a Statement of Purpose, providing citations of the student’s prior commitment to public service, an explanation regarding how the student’s intended residency program further enhances this pursuit, and a detailed description of the student’s intended career path in public service. Three letters of recommendation, one being the academic Dean's letter and two being from people knowledgeable about the student's public service work, are required. An official HMS transcript and the student's Curriculum Vitae are also required.