News

February 6, 2026By Physicians for a Healthy California Medical Student Grants

Physicians for a Healthy California (PHC) is proud to award more than $30,500 in MedStudentsServe grants to outstanding medical students leading innovative projects to expand access to care and strengthen the health of underserved communities across the state.

This year’s awardees are taking a hands-on, community-centered approach to care. Their projects include partnering with local clinics and organizations to provide memory screenings and caregiver education for Asian American seniors; deliver street-based medical and wound care services to individuals experiencing homelessness; and offer mobile vision screenings with prescription eyeglasses in community settings. 

Additional awardees are reducing practical barriers to care through transportation support, expanding routine childhood vaccinations, and leading culturally responsive mental health education programs for youth and families. Together, these projects meet patients where they are—in neighborhoods, schools, shelters, and trusted community spaces—helping ensure care is accessible, welcoming and responsive to local needs.

Through the MedStudentsServe program, PHC invests in the next generation of physician leaders by funding student-driven educational, advocacy, service, and outreach efforts that improve health and well-being throughout California. By empowering students to design and lead real-world solutions now, PHC helps cultivate physicians who are deeply connected to the communities they serve and committed to advancing health equity statewide.

View the full list of this cycle’s awardees and project descriptions here.