MSFC Update - November 2004

Save The Date!

MSFC’S 12TH ANNUAL MEETING
MARCH 5-6, 2005
PHIL ADELPHIA, PA

Open to all medical students, residents, and other health-professionals-in-training. For the first time this year we will be including a track specifically geared towards an audience of residents and more advanced medical students.

For more information about the Annual Meeting, see our website at www.ms4c.org, or contact Jen Gall at jen@ms4c.org. Registration forms will be available in December 2004. The registration deadline is February 11, 2005.

Annual Meeting Scholarships:
We also have scholarships for a limited number of school groups. The criteria for scholarships include:
1) MSFC group of fewer than 10 active members;
2) MSFC group in a rural or conservative area; or
3) MSFC group established since September 2002.

Preference in awarding scholarships will be given to groups that have started this year. Our goal is to ensure that new student leaders in isolation are able to attend. For scholarship applications, write to Jessica at msfc@ms4c.org. Scholarship applications must be received by January 24, 2005.

Other Save the Dates!

Midwestern Regional Conference
January 8, 2005
Cincinnati, OH

Southwestern Regional Conference
January 8, 2005
Nashville, TN

Canadian Regional Conference
February 5 - 6 , 2005
Toronto, ON

Roe v. Wade and Morgentaler Decision Anniversaries

JANUARY 22, 2005: 32nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which effectively legalized abortion in the United States.

JANUARY 28, 2005: 17th anniversary of the Morgentaler decision in Canada, which gave women the constitutional right to make their own reproductive choices.

Contact Medical Students for Choice at msfc@ms4c.org if you would like an organizing kit that provides background information about these landmark decisions as well as outreach tools for students to educate their peers about the abortion provider shortage. These two kits will be available for distribution among MSFC student groups in mid-December.

Apply Now! MSFC Awards

Awards deadline: January 24, 2005, by 5:00 pm PST. Email msfc@ms4c.org with any questions.

Dr. Elizabeth Karlin Campus Organizing Award

Named in honor of Dr. Elizabeth Karlin (1944-1998), a pioneering abortion provider and advocate, the annual Dr. Elizabeth Karlin Campus Organizing Award will be presented to an MSFC group that has made permanent improvements in their school curriculum and has been an effective educator of their entire campus community. A $500 prize will be awarded to one group at the MSFC Annual Meeting in March 2005. 2nd and 3rd prizes of $250 and $150 respectively will also be presented.

MSFC Faculty Mentor Award

This award recognizes an outstanding faculty mentor, and will be given at the MSFC Annual Meeting in March 2005. The award will be presented to the faculty member who has made the greatest positive difference in the success of a campus group by mentoring, supporting, and working with our student activists. Nominations may be made by any MSFC student group to msfc@ms4c.org or MSFC Awards, PO Box70190, Oakland, CA 94612.

Annual Meeting Poster Presentation

Our Annual Meeting this spring will include our 2nd annual poster presentation. Individual students and student groups are invited to present posters on a wide variety of topics, including reproductive health research, successful chapter events, status of abortion legislation in your state, public health work in reproductive health care, externship experiences, and media involvement. The posters will be judged by members of the MSFC Research Task Force on novelty of subject, clarity, and depth of discussion. First prize will receive $250, second prize will receive $150, and third prize will receive $100. Interested students should contact Jessica Kuo at msfc@ms4c.org for submission details.