The Blake W.H. Smith Scholarship

In 1975, a graduate assistant named Blake W.H. Smith became the second employee in the newly formed Department of Family Medicine. Dr. Smith was to devote his next 24 years to ensuring that the family medicine faculty and staff developed the academic skill base necessary to become one of the pre-eminent family medicine departments in the country. Over time, he earned a doctorate in administration and higher education and moved into the positions of clerkship coordinator, associate chair for Academic Affairs, and senior academic specialist.

Smith’s wide-ranging interests included provision of health care in underserved areas, primary care in developing nations, development of strong clerkships in family practice and in community medicine, and development of a strong research component in the department’s academic activity. His premature death in August 1998 grieved his colleagues, yet his legacy included development of a family practice faculty well grounded in the rigors of academic life and with a social vision that extends beyond the walls of the university.

In memory of Dr. Smith, and to ensure that the goals that were close to his heart can continue to be achieved, a special fund in the name of Blake W.H. Smith, PhD, has been established.

The Blake W.H. Smith, PhD, Scholarship provides a stipend of at least $1,000.00 for a CHM student, resident, or faculty member (academic/clinical/volunteer) engaged in furthering the goals of primary health care, or community-oriented medical education with an emphasis on international settings or under-served areas and populations in the United States. Preference will be given to individuals who are not doing a project in their home country.

Scholarship Applications:

Blake Smith Scholarship Application (Student)

Blake Smith Scholarship Application (Faculty_Resident)

For more information, contact:

Joy Hull
Phone: (517)884-0424
E-mail: hullam@msu.edu