A Perelman School of Medicine student received a national fellowship last week that awards graduate school funding to immigrants and children of immigrants.
Second year medical student Bayan Galal was one of 30 selected for the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans from over 3,000 applicants this year. Graduate or professional students who intend to contribute to American society or academia are awarded up to $90,000 in merit-based funding — which can be applied beginning in fall 2027.
“The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship is a tribute to my parents, and I’m confident that I wouldn’t be where I am today without their sacrifices,” Galal told The Daily Pennsylvanian.
The award is granted to honors graduate students who serve as an “example” of the “richness that refugees and immigrants bring to America,” according to the fellowship description.
Galal, the daughter of Egyptian immigrants, grew up living between Egypt and the United States. She explained that she was “motivated to pursue” a stronger health system for underserved populations in the U.S. after witnessing “healthcare disparities” — based upon who a patient was or where they were from — while in Egypt.
“Those experiences have really pushed me to think not just about delivering care, but also about improving how that care is actually delivered,” she added.
Galal explained that most of her motivation today stems from understanding the “complicated" nature of the U.S. healthcare system, and “recognizing that we can do better if we design it more intentionally.”
The program’s funding — which is delivered over two years — is split between a direct stipend to fellows and tuition payments to their universities. Fellows can receive up to $25,000 each year in stipend support, and up to $20,000 each year in tuition support.
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At Penn, Galal has served as a coordinator for the United Community Clinic, which provides medical services to the Parkside community — as well as African and Caribbean immigrants and refugees.
She also founded Providing Access to Health, a program aimed at improving the availability and accessibility of health system navigation support. The project received the Office of Social Equity & Community’s 2025 Projects for Progress award — which offered up to $100,000 in funding.
As part of this initiative, Galal and her team assist individuals “struggling with navigating the various dimensions of their care.”
Galal has also served as a Perry World House graduate associate, which she described as a “great opportunity” to explore ideas through “different lenses.”
“Through the program, we got to receive training in policy briefs, interacting with the media, and advancing our work at various levels,” she added.
