OSU-COM student awarded AOF Golden Ticket Scholarship for his service and dedication

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

Media Contact: Kayley Spielbusch | Digital Communications Specialist | 918-561-5759 | kspielb@okstate.edu

For Eddy Bagaruka, his heart for service is what led him down the path to medical school. 

Bagaruka is a third-year medical student at Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. His mother’s volunteer service at a hospital in his hometown of Kigali, Rwanda, instilled in him the value of service. 

“I grew up in a small household where my mom would wake up on Saturdays and Sundays and visit the hospital to help patients who didn’t have anybody to look after them. In Rwanda, when you go to the hospital, you don’t have a caregiver, and sometimes the hospital doesn’t provide you with food. Patients have to rely on outside help,” Bagaruka said. 

Although these experiences shaped his decision to attend medical school, life led him down a different path first.

He moved to the United States before returning to Rwanda to pursue his degree. A mix-up on his application led him to study medical imaging at the University of Rwanda, and he worked as a sonographer following his graduation. 

In hindsight, Bagaruka realized that some things happen in life for a reason. Seeing firsthand the difficulties rural patients face in accessing health care drove him to make a difference. 

One moment in particular stuck with him. 

He was called in the middle of the night to perform an X-ray on a child struggling to breathe. Unfortunately, the hospital had only one ambulance, which was already en route to assist a pregnant woman in labor. With no way to transport the child to the hospital, the child tragically did not survive.

“Witnessing the gap in access to health care for these patients in rural areas, and having these experiences, made me wish I could do more,” Bagaruka said. 

Ultimately, this journey is what led him to OSU-COM. 

Bagaruka moved to Oklahoma because he had a friend who went to college there, and he hoped to find the same success she had. 

He attended Oklahoma Christian University to obtain his degree in nursing, but with the support of his professors, he decided to pursue his original goal of medical school. 

He chose OSU-COM specifically because it is an osteopathic medical school, which is not available abroad. 

“I had never heard of a DO program before. I learned from the student ambassadors about the philosophy behind OSU-COM of training doctors who go back and practice in their community. That has always been my goal and my passion, so I knew this was where I belonged,” Bagaruka said. 

Now in his third year and on rotations, Bagaruka’s hard work has paid off. The American Osteopathic Foundation (AOF) named him the winner of the AOF 2025 Golden Ticket Scholarship. 

The scholarship recognizes those who, despite financial obstacles, have achieved academic excellence, display exemplary leadership, give of themselves through volunteer activities and embody osteopathic tenets and philosophies. The AOF selects six finalists to receive a $5,000 scholarship, with one finalist awarded the Golden Ticket for an additional $15,000. 

Bagaruka was announced the Golden Ticket winner at the 2025 AOF Honors Gala in September. He said winning the scholarship was a shock because every finalist felt just as deserving. 

“This scholarship is more than financial. They’re acknowledging my hard work, dedication and supporting me in achieving my goal. It feels like this is another way of telling me to keep pushing and not forget the ‘why’ of all this,” Bagaruka said. 

As an immigrant and self-funded student, Bagaruka faces significant financial barriers. These include out-of-state tuition and costs associated with his rotations. 

The funds from the Golden Ticket scholarship will make a tremendous difference as he finishes medical school. 

“This support will ease those burdens, allowing me to focus more fully on my training, complete rotations that align with my specialty interests and continue contributing to research and community outreach,” he said. 

As a future physician, Bagaruka hopes to give back to others in the same way he has been supported. 

He aims to build a career combining clinical practice, research and patient advocacy by serving rural communities, while returning to Africa a couple of times each year to serve patients back home. 

“All the sacrifices and struggles you go through are worth it when you discharge a smiling patient who will go back and help their community. At the end of the day, that is one of the best rewards,” Bagaruka said.