Carle Illinois College of Medicine student Mahima Goel is working to fulfill her dream to impact the lives of vulnerable patient populations, particularly children with disabilities and serious illnesses. That dream is one step closer to reality after Goel was awarded the prestigious Physicians of Tomorrow Scholarship from the American Medical Association Foundation.
The scholarship, which includes $10,000 in tuition assistance, recognizes and supports exceptional medical students entering their final year of study who are committed to serving the community.
“For my career as a future pediatrician and possibly pediatric oncologist, this award means everything as it provides recognition for students like myself who are going into primary care specialties and have a lifelong commitment to community service,” Goel said. “For me, in particular, this award grants the opportunity to continue working towards my journey as a physician-innovator because it allows me to worry less about the financial burdens associated with paying for medical school and instead focus more on refining my clinical skills and further developing my innovation projects,”
In April, Goel was selected to receive the 2025 Fiddler Innovation Fellowship for her work on CAPSLocks – a new portable, reduced-cost device that leverages proven scalp-cooling technology to prevent chemotherapy-induced hair loss in patients being treated for cancer. The Fiddler Fellowship, presented by the University of Illinois’ Emerging Digital Research and Education in Arts Media (eDream) Institute at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA), also carries a $10,000 prize.
Goel was nominated for the AMA scholarship by CI MED Dean Mark Cohen and University of Illinois Mechanical Science and Engineering Professor Elizabeth Hsiao-Wecksler, her faculty advisor on the CAPSLocks project.
Beyond medical school, Goel plans to pursue a residency in pediatrics, while also working at the intersection of health care and engineering to incorporate innovation and technology into pediatric care.
“As a future pediatrician, I hope to continue my research and advocacy work in the fight against cancer, particularly hoping to contribute towards expanding scientific developments and clinical practices in the realm of childhood cancers,” Goel said.
Editor’s note: For a list of the AMA Foundation’s 2025 Physicians of Tomorrow Scholarship recipients, click here.