CarpenterShirley Carpenter Endowment Scholarship For Osteopathic Medical Students

Shirley is in the ‘top ten’ nonphysician workers who helped expand the osteopathic profession. Please join me in contributing to this scholarship fund. – Mitch Kasovac, DO, AOA President 1990-1991

The Northwest Osteopathic Medical Foundation is honored to maintain an Endowed Scholarship Fund in memory of Shirley Carpenter whose work and passion touched so many in the osteopathic medical profession. Thanks to the generosity of the Montana Osteopathic Medical Association, Donald Grewell DO, and a number of individuals, the scholarship is given annually and we hope to grow it further in order to award larger scholarships that appropriately honor her legacy.

To contribute to this special fund in memory of Shirley, please complete the donation form or donate {HERE}.

It is the policy of the Foundation Board that these funds are to be for the purpose of supporting an osteopathic medical student from Montana and committed to returning to practice in Montana.

Recommended by Mitch Kasovac DO, Shirley Carpenter served as the AOA’s Northwest Regional Manager by assisting small emerging states to set up osteopathic state associations. Shirley created the job and made it her own, setting an incredibly high standard in all that she did. Her commitment to getting small associations up and on their feet was remarkable.
Masterfully seeing what assets and unique strengths each state had, Shirley, built on those assets with a no-nonsense, common-sense approach, bringing to bear all the AOA support she could muster. She expertly prepared documentation for associations interested in becoming nonprofit organizations and educated association members in the art of organizing successful and academically rigorous CME training.
Shirley was always there by holding a hand or leading the charge. As a tremendous resource, she regularly attended state association meetings and sensitively mentored many DOs through organizational and community outreach challenges. Shirley was a talented woman of consummate skill who also was quite funny, impeccably honest, extremely caring, deeply involved in her community, and loved to dance! She made an unforgettable impression on virtually everyone.
Before her impressive track record with the AOA, she worked in Physician Services at Phoenix General Osteopathic Hospital in Arizona. Shirley remained passionate about life and worked tirelessly to support “her” states until 2003 when she lost her struggle against stomach cancer.
She had two children and four grandchildren who were the loves of her life.

Shirley Carpenter Endowment Scholarship recipients include:

  • Keely Hackett, Western U/College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific -Northwest, 2022
  • Angie Maxon, Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, 2020
  • Andrew Boyer, Western U/College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific -Northwest, 2019
  • Brittney VanAusdol, Western U/College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific -Northwest, 2018
  • Brittney VanAusdol, Western U/College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific -Northwest, 2017
  • Brittney VanAusdol, Western U/College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific -Northwest, 2016
  • Burk Schaible, Western U/College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific -Northwest, 2015
  • Jessica Smith, Rocky Vista University College of Medicine, 2014
  • Jessica Smith, Rocky Vista University College of Medicine, 2013