BY HEATHER CAMPBELL
As the Northern Ontario Medical School prepares to welcome its charter class of 56 students, Bursary Fund Campaign co chairs, Greg Pilot and Gerry Lougheed Jr, are proud to report that they have raised $2.7 million toward their $5 million goal since February 2005.
Both co-chairs are thrilled that northern communities have been extremely generous.
?I have yet to receive a no which is a first in my 30 years of fundraising.? Lougheed said.
Lougheed and Pilot report donors are simply asking ?how much??
Lougheed said he believes there are a few good reasons for this: the communities have great pride in the new medical school-the first new medical school to be opened in Ontario in 30 years.
Northerners are also very aware of the investment they make in medical students and how that will impact our communities? health.
The Ontario Government is matching every dollar raised in this campaign.
This tuition based bursary has been established to ensure there are no fiscal barriers for students attending the school.
Eighty percent of the student population will have resided in Northern Ontario in the past 10 years increasing the potential that graduates will continue to stay in the north.
The bursary will allow students to focus on their studies, research and clinical education.
Pilot and Lougheed have been working with committees across the region that have created a ?critical mass of influence,? as Lougheed described their volunteer driven fundraising strategy.
He also stated that 100 percent of the money raised goes toward the fund. The expenses for operating this campaign have been underwritten by Laurentian and Lakehead Universities.
The interest from the fund will be used for the student bursaries; and therefore, ensure continued resources for future students.
?We are trying to be competitive ? keep our students in the north,? said Pilot.
He gives a poignant example of the need for doctors and the importance of the medical school.
?In the northern town of Dryden (population of 8,800), 40 percent of the population do not have a family doctor. With the medical school, we hope to alleviate that problem by supporting northern students to become doctors and stay in the north.?
Both co chairs talked about the legacy of supporting the medical students with many spin offs that include improved health with access to more doctors, research capacity and economic development.
At full capacity the school will have 224 undergraduates, 205 post graduate students and more than 120 faculty and staff.
Those wishing to contact the Bursary Fund Campaign to find out more or to make a donation, can do so by visiting the website at www.normed.ca or contact the Office of Development, Laurentian University, 675-1151 ext. 3443.
Northern Life is supporting the Northern Ontario Medical Schoo; Bursary Fund Campaign.
