Ontario Medical Student Bursary Fund announces inaugural disbursement

by Lisa Clements, OMA Public Affairs and Communications Department

With more than $2.9 million raised since its inception in 1999, the Ontario Medical Student Bursary Fund (OMSBF) recently announced its inaugural disbursement of funds, which will be distributed in the form of $2,000 bursaries to more than 70 physicians-in-training at Ontario's five medical schools.

OMSBF allotments to Ontario medical schools
(based on first-year class enrolment)

The bursaries provided by the OMSBF are aimed at helping financially needy medical students alleviate a portion of their debt-load, while encouraging qualified students who are considering medical school, but are concerned about costs, to realize their dream of becoming a physician.

Since the deregulation of medical school tuition in 1998, tuition fees have skyrocketed. This September, first-year medical tuition in Ontario averaged $12,840 per year. To further compound the problem, government assistance for students has not increased in more than a decade - leaving medical students with debt-loads as high as $100,000.

Worried that this new reality could force lower-income students to abandon their plans of attending medical school, in 1998, the OMA Student Section approached OMA Council for help. OMA Council members responded favourably, passing a resolution in May 1999 approving the formation of an OMA Student Bursary Fund.

Since then, the OMF and its partners in the OMA and the medical schools have been working hard to raise money to help as many needy medical students as possible. The campaign was activated with start-up funds from the Ontario Medical Association, the Canadian Medical Association and MD Management Inc. (through the Canadian Medical Foundation).

To date, almost 2,000 physicians, and other individuals interested in the future of medicine, have answered the call from the OMSBF and stepped forward with donations.

Fund-raising initiatives have also resulted in generous donations from Abelsoft Corporation, AstraZeneca Canada Inc., KPMG Llp Charitable Foundation, MDS Inc., Royal Bank of Canada, and Merck Frosst Canada.

The team at the OMF and OMSBF wish to thank all those who have contributed to the Fund, and to encourage others to donate to this important initiative.

To obtain further information about the Ontario Medical Student Bursary Fund, or to inquire about donating, please contact OMSBF Manager Sandra Zidaric at 1-800-268-7215 ext. 2913 or 416-340-2913, or e-mail: (sandy_zidaric@oma.org).