Whakatāne's Trident High School graduate Aman Singh is the fortunate recipient of this year's Bay of Plenty Medical Students Acorn Financial Grant of $4000.

Aman is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Auckland and is currently placed at Tauranga Hospital for the year.

He has an educational background in Public Health, completing a Bachelor of Health Science and Postgraduate Diploma and is extremely grateful to the Acorn Foundation for awarding him the financial grant.

'The $4000 scholarship has significantly eased the financial pressures for my studies,” says Aman.

'It meant that I could take time off work over the last semester to focus on preparing for my end of fourth year OSCE without having to worry about finances.

"Next year, I am placed at Auckland City Hospital and have to move back to Auckland over the summer – the scholarship will help with relocation and setting up for the year ahead.

'I have loved coming back to the Bay of Plenty this year and being able to spend time with my family and community. Hospital placement in Tauranga has been enjoyable and rewarding – it is a warm and friendly environment which promotes learning and development."

The grant was established by the NZ Medical Association (BOP branch) in memory of Dr John Mark, a respected former GP, to support financially disadvantaged medical students who attended college in the Bay of Plenty.

The Acorn foundation administers the fund annually to help support the next generation of doctors in this region.