Medical students may apply for college assistance from Doctors Hospital volunteers making use of their gift shop profits and donations from the previous year.

The auxiliary usually awards some $20,000 annually in scholarships.

Applicants must be graduates of the Manteca Unified School District, the Ripon Unified School District or an employee or child of an employee of Doctors Hospital of Manteca.  Schools involved include Manteca, Lathrop, Weston Ranch and Ripon.

Those applying for scholarships must be in at least their second year at an accredited community college, college/university level, pursuing studies and course work leading to a career in the healthcare or medical profession.  

Scholarship applications packets can be obtained at the hospital’s front desk at 1205 E. North St., Manteca.

The students are reviewed on their grade point averages, volunteer history, community involvement, honors and leadership experiences.

In past years beginning in 1979 some 15 to 20 students received between $750 and $1,500 to help pay for junior college and university fees.  

Buying a plant or gift for a patient at Doctors Hospital helps underwrite those medical scholarships.  The hospital first opened 52 years ago and the auxiliary has been offering scholarships to second year medical and healthcare students since 1979.  

One of the greatest thrills for the volunteer group over the years was funding Scott Hadley in part of his medical education and into his internship – seeing him become Dr. Scott Hadley, M.D. He is an East Union High School grad.

The Manteca Bulletin newspapers sold at the gift shop support the scholarship fund.  The entire payment of the papers goes to the volunteers with none going back to the newspaper.

The gift shop operation has helped to underwrite careers for hundreds of students in becoming doctors and nurses for 35 years as well as professionals in pathology, speech therapy and pharmacy with students now attending the pharmacy school at UOP in Stockton.