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The Power of Giving
by Steven D. Bevier
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| The MSU College of Osteopathic Medicine was built on the contributions of the community that it serves and the doctors it created. Development has always been a vital component of the college’s growth and maturity. The college would literally not exist were it not for the Michigan Osteopathic College Foundation, which was established by donations from D.O.s across the state. MSUCOM is a state-assisted school, but it relies on the generous donations of alumni, faculty, staff, students, doctors, patients and grateful members of the community. This issue of Communiqué highlights just some of the examples of development gifts that have enriched the college, improved the quality of education and promoted the osteopathic philosophy. |
The Osteopathic Medical Scholars and their advisor, Norma Baptista, Ph.D.
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Students
Focusing on the Individual
The choice to earn a D.O. degree requires a tremendous commitment of time and energy. It is also expensive, with the cost of a four-year degree running well over $150,000. As part of the new Campaign for MSU, the College of Osteopathic Medicine has recently targeted several funding areas that would be of great benefit to the student population.
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One goal is the establishment of more student scholarships to help with the growing cost of medical school. “We have many scholarships available,” says William Falls, Ph.D., associate dean for student services, “but none exceeds $5,000 and only one follows a student for four full years.” He adds that more scholarship money could serve as a recruitment tool for students who are worried that the cost of medical school may be prohibitive.
MSUCOM is committed to attracting the best and brightest. One program that does this is the Osteopathic Medical Scholars. The program identifies undergraduates who have a strong interest in osteopathic medicine, and offers them conditional acceptance to MSUCOM upon completion of the program. Norma Baptista, Ph.D., faculty adviser for the Scholars, says the program has been successful, but she would like to do more. “Part of the osteopathic philosophy is the focus on individuals,” she explains. “We want to be able to give the students more attention and really make them feel like a part of the college.” She agrees that scholarship opportunities would be an effective way to attract a larger pool of talented candidates.
Attracting the Best and the Brightest
Mario Alvarado was a student at the University of California-Berkeley when he began to think about his postgraduate plans. “I was always interested in science,” he says, “but I wanted to do something where I would have contact with real people.” He began researching and found that a D.O. program and the study of osteopathic manipulative medicine was just what he was seeking. That led to the decision to attend Michigan State. |
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One of the hardest challenges medical students face is simply finding a way to pay for their education. For out-of-state students like Mr. Alvarado, the challenge is even greater. In order to ease his burden, he chose to take a big risk. He delayed his admission to MSUCOM for one year and moved to Michigan to establish in-state residency.
“I had just gotten married, but I came here by myself to find a job and a place to live,” he explains. “I didn’t know anyone. I didn’t even have a car. All I had was my bike to get around town.” It was a tough transition for him and his wife, but they found work, while he waited to begin medical school. Mr. Alvarado settled in and eventually joined the Class of 2004.
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Mario Alvarado is entering his fourth year at MSUCOM.
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The move was a big gamble, and he had to delay the start of his education for a full year, but he says he would do it again. “It was a long process and I had to be very careful to make sure all the details were taken care of. But it was definitely worth the wait.” He has since advised other out-of-state students to follow the same path, but with one caution. “If you’re absolutely sure that this is the right place for you, then I would recommend it.”
Mr. Alvarado made the choice to attend MSUCOM no matter the sacrifice, but for others the choice is not as easy. “Cost is the number one thing,” says Dr. Falls. “It makes it difficult to recruit students, especially minority and out-of-state candidates.”
Scholarships have helped many students – including Mr. Alvarado – but the college is eager to encourage more opportunities. “Many of our scholarships are started by alumni,” Dr. Falls adds. “They know what students go through, because they’ve been through it themselves. It’s an excellent way for them to give back.”
Student scholarships also serve another goal of the college, which is increasing student diversity. MSUCOM already has several scholarships targeted to underrepresented minorities. But Dr. Baptista says the college needs more opportunities to avoid losing students to other schools. “We’ve had several qualified candidates that have unfortunately gone to other schools because of the cost. We need more financial incentives to attract the best students.” ...MORE
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