BOSTON SCHWEITZER FELLOWS PROGRAM^®

To foster Dr. Albert Schweitzer’s legacy of service, the Boston Schweitzer Fellows Program^®, a program of The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship^®, provides service opportunities and support for graduate and professional students in health and human-service degree programs in Greater Boston and Worcester.  Since 1992, over 400 Boston and Worcester-area Fellows have devoted more than 80,000 hours carrying out health-related community service projects in their local areas.

The Boston Schweitzer Fellows Program is a year-long fellowship program open to all area students enrolled in a degree program in health and human-service fields including acupuncture, dentistry, education, law, medicine, music, nursing, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, public health, occupational therapy, social work, and veterinary medicine.

Fellows have provided services ranging from developing a fall prevention program for seniors, health education programs in local schools, nutrition programs for low-income families, to identifying the mental health issues refugee children face in the U.S.  Please see Fellows and Projects for a complete listing of projects.

Boston Fellows have also conducted more than 70 public outreach events, including formal symposia on topics such as HIV and AIDS, refugee and immigrant health, nutrition and obesity, and access to health care.  These free events are open to the general public and engage students, academic faculty, community members and others in thoughtful dialogue about the unmet health needs facing our local communities.    

ACTIVITIES OF THE FELLOWS

Service Project: Each Schweitzer Fellow develops a 200-hour community service project that creatively addresses an unmet local health need, reducing health disparities, through activities that are planned in partnership with those served.  Fellows collaborate with a local community agency under the leadership of a site supervisor and academic mentor of the student’s choice. Projects provide both immediate and enduring value to the community served.  All activities are in addition to the Fellows’ usual graduate professional training responsibilities.

Fellowship Activities: Fellows actively participate in an overnight orientation retreat and monthly meetings in order to further develop skills to work with underserved populations, encourage greater appreciation of the variety of professions influencing the health of the population, and to foster a lifetime commitment to service.  Fellows also work together in small groups to organize outreach activities that may take the form of public symposia or group service activities.

Reports and Evaluations: Fellows submit monthly one-page reports about their activities, a written final report, and an evaluation about the Fellowship experience. Fellows’ site mentors also must complete a final evaluation.

Stipend: Each Schweitzer Fellow receives a stipend of $3,000, distributed in three payments throughout the Fellowship year.  The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship cannot provide any additional financial support.

For more detailed information on applying, please see the application guidelines. 

In their words...
“The Schweitzer Fellows Program is an amazing and life-changing experience.  It gives busy, harried students, who are very focused on their own particular health field, the opportunity to do two important things.  First, it expands students’ health horizons and perspectives by exposing them to a broad range of other students from different schools, studying different things.  Second, it brings together a group of people who want to serve others, and gives them the opportunity and encouragement to act on their instincts to reach out and make a real difference in people’s lives.”
- Elly Stout, Tufts University

"In my view the Schweitzer program is a unique and important program.  It fosters idealism and service among young individuals who are in privileged positions to put those values to good use.  It empowers young professionals in training to believe they can make immediate impacts on their communities and that they do not have to defer those dreams and goals.  The opportunity to meet like-minded individuals at other schools and in other fields is valuable and inspiring."
- Tobin Abraham, UMASS Medical School

“Being a part of the Fellowship has unquestionably served to reinforce my commitment to public service, as well as further increased my interest in working with the homeless population.  I have learned the importance of surrounding oneself with a group of like-minded individuals whom you can draw encouragement and inspiration from, and hope to find such an environment in the future.  I feel very fortunate to be a Fellow for Life, and am grateful that my connection to other Schweitzer Fellows extends far beyond this year.”
- Anthony Lim, Boston University

For more information, contact:
Devon Reber, Program Director
Boston Schweitzer Fellows Program
330 Brookline Ave. (BR) (Mailing Address)
109 Brookline Ave. (Office Location)
Boston, MA 02215
T: (617) 667-1526
F: (617) 667-7989
dreber@bidmc.harvard.edu