Deanna Shoup has recently been named a recipient of a prestigious Indian Health Services (IHS) scholarship.
The IHS Scholarship is a highly competitive scholarship for federal or state-recognized American Indians and Alaska Natives. On average, they receive 1200 applications for 150 scholarships. Shoup, of Rapid City, is a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe.
There are three different categories and awards vary by category and school the recipient attends. The total award amount received approximates $25,000 for the year, covering tuition, fees, books and a travel award, and monthly stipend. The IHS scholarship is awarded to students who are planning on working in underserved disciplines in the medical field. For physicians, it is geared towards students who plan on going into Family Practice, OB/GYN, Podiatry, or other highly needed IHS areas.
Shoup, an interdisciplinary sciences major with an emphasis in pre-professional health, wants to specialize in OB-GYN or family practice and wants to practice in the Black Hills area or in the Midwest. A four-year medical school program is her next step. She will apply to various schools this year.
"There is a shortage of doctors in this area," Shoup said, adding that she would like to work in the IHS system, or at least "where there is a large concentration of Native people."
