OMSBF and med school representatives
working in collaboration
As the formal launch of the Ontario Medical Student Bursary Fund (OMSBF) approaches, bursary fund representatives and fund-raising staff from participating Ontario faculties of medicine met recently to exchange ideas, update one another on the status of each campaign, and determine how to best work together to help medical students.
Bursary fund campaign manager Sandy Zidaric outlined to Queen’s, Ottawa and McMaster university delegates the communication plan designed to raise and support awareness of the bursary; the amount of funds raised to date; and general schedule information, including the telemarketing campaign aimed toward the province’s 8,200 non-Ontario graduate physicians, set to begin in February.
Each faculty then outlined its plans to promote the bursary endeavour among its respective alumni.
Martin Redfern, vice-president, public affairs, of the Angus Reid Group, presented the results of a recent survey commissioned on behalf of the Ontario Medical Student Bursary Fund, which tested support and messaging for the campaign. Since alumni from each school, as well as non-Ontario graduates, were surveyed, the information presented was sorted for each faculty.
Two findings which reflected strongly from each survey group were the importance of accessibility to medical school, and the realization of a physician supply problem, which restrictive medical school tuition fees will only exacerbate. The involvement of government as part of the solution was also resolutely supported.
The survey also revealed a solid philanthropic history for physicians.
Telemarketing strategies and lessons were exchanged, as were ideas for donor recognition. Plans have been made for attending representatives to meet again once the campaign reaches its active phase next month, to assess the endeavour and reinforce the co-operative relations between the Ontario Medical Student Bursary Fund and Ontario’s faculties of medicine.
New Founders Welcome!
The deadline for enrolment as a Founder of the Ontario Medical Student Bursary Fund has been extended to February 10, 2000. As a Founder, you can ensure that a financially challenged student will receive a bursary of $2,000 or more, according to need.
Your leadership support at this pre-campaign stage will reinforce the commitment to the Ontario Medical Student Bursary Fund that nine out of 10 Ontario physicians recently polled by Angus Reid said they shared, and will set the pace for the campaign.
To express our gratitude and encourage
others to follow your lead, the OMSBF would like to honour Founders in
the following ways:
• All Founders will receive a thank you letter and receipt for income tax purposes.• Founders will be listed in a scroll of honour within their gift ranges, to be featured in the Ontario Medical Review and on OMA WebLink.
• Founders will be invited to special campaign events.
• Founders will also be acknowledged in additional ways within a Circle of Honour in various gift ranges from $2,000 to $99,999.
To show your support, or to obtain
further information, please contact Miriam Steinhouse, OMSBF Campaign Director,
at (416) 340-2896 or 1-800-268-7215, ext. 2896.