The Ben Qurrah AwardArab American Medical Association Houston ChapterThe Ben Qurrah award was founded in 1998 after an initiative by the chapter president then, Imtihan Jawdat, MD was approved by the board of directors. Dr. Jawdat secured the first $50.000 for the award. The award named after a prominent Arab scientist/ physician whose full name is Thabit Ibn Qurrah Marawan Al-Harrani from Harran, Mesopotamia. Ibn Qurrah was born in 826, flourished in Baghdad, and died in 901. He received mathematical and medical training in Baghdad and was the personal Physician of the Abbasid Caliph (King) al-M'utadid. He was a scholar well versed in fields of Astronomy, Mathematics, translation, and Medicine.
The AAMA Houston Chapter, recognizes the many contributions that Scientists of Arab origin had to the fields of Science and Medicine. Thus, the AAMA Houston Chapter wishes to highlight, promote and award scientists of Arab descent who had such remarkable contributions. The award named after Thabit Ibn Qurrah in view of his earlier contributions to Science during the Abbasid Era. The Ben Qurrah Award, which is mostly a biennial event, is considered the most prestigious Award given by the AAMA Houston Chapter. Its recipients are chosen by an Award Selection Committee representative of the AAMA Houston Chapter membership. During each event, two prominent Physicians/Scientists are awarded. Since Houston's rich with prominent Physicians/Scientists of Arab origin, one of the recipients is chosen from Houston. The second recipient is either National or International, selected from outside Houston, in an attempt to extend the recognition of achievements beyond Houston, which has been a rewarding experience for the AAMA Houston Chapter as well as for the National and International Ben Qurrah Award recipients. Medical Student Scholarship
Established 2005
AAMA Houston Chapter
Application:
The application process will be open year round; applications received will be reviewed on a quarterly basis by the scholarship committee to determine eligibility. Priority will be given to applicants residing in Houston.
Application forms are available for download by following this link.
Applications will also be made available at Office of Registrars/International Offices at medical institutions in Houston.
General Eligibility Requirements:
- Arab heritage
- Full-time enrollment in an internationally recognized healthcare related school
- Accepted to spend one or more of elective months at one of Houston's medical institutions or any affiliated hospitals
- Willing to provide a written report describing his/her experience during the elective training
- Willing to attend AAMA meetings during the training months in Houston
Requirements:
Each candidate needs to submit:
- An update Curriculum Vitae
- A complete application form (includes essay describing how training (elective) in the U.S. or financial assistance will help fulfill his/her future plans.)
- A letter verifying enrollment in medical/healthcare institution or school
- A letter of acceptance for elective training at any of the medical institutions in Houston
- Two letters of recommendations from current instructors
Scholarship Amount:
- Up to $1500 per candidate, up to four per year
- Scholarship funds can be used to pay for lodging, insurance, travel needed during the elective months or for the examination fees at the discretion of the scholarship committee.