Medical Students Hold 11th Charity Gala to Benefit Brain Tumor Research
Students from the Class of 2021 at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix hosted the eleventh Annual Charity Gala benefiting Students Supporting Brain Tumor Research (SSBTR) on Saturday, February 10.
This year’s gala was themed the Roaring 20s and included a keynote speech from Nader Sanai, MD, dinner, drinks and a silent auction. Attendees were able to bid on two roundtrip tickets to any Southwest Airlines destination, a two-night cottage stay at L’Auberge Sedona and a wine tasting for up to 16 guests.
The gala took place at 7:00 p.m. at the Virginia G. Piper Auditorium, 550 E. Van Buren St., Phoenix.
For the last 11 years, first-year medical students at the college have collaborated with SSBTR to organize and host this special evening. First-year medical student Manroop Kaur, who was a member of the planning committee and chair of marketing and fundraising for the event, said “this is a great opportunity for students, faculty and community members to come together in support of a wonderful cause.”
Students Supporting Brain Tumor Research is the largest student-run, non-profit organization in Arizona. Committed to raising funds for brain tumor research, the organization has raised more than $2.4 million since 2002. Beneficiaries include Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Barrow Neurological Institute, Brain Tumor Society, Translational Genomic Research Institution and medical research at the University of Arizona.
“When I heard about SSBTR, I knew I had to be involved in supporting their cause,” Kaur said. “As a Hospice of the Valley/Ryan House volunteer, I was fortunate to build relationships with some of the strongest individuals who were fighting brain cancer. I have kept those experiences close to my heart and supporting this wonderful organization honors and celebrates those moments. In addition, this charity gala has been a tradition at the College of Medicine – Phoenix since its opening in 2007. As a first year medical student, I wanted to take part in upholding this incredible tradition.”
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About the College
Founded in 2007, the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix inspires and trains exemplary physicians, scientists and leaders to advance its core missions in education, research, clinical care and service to communities across Arizona. The college’s strength lies in our collaborations and partnerships with clinical affiliates, community organizations and industry sponsors. With our primary affiliate, Banner Health, we are recognized as the premier academic medical center in Phoenix. As an anchor institution of the Phoenix Bioscience Core, the college is home to signature research programs in neurosciences, cardiopulmonary diseases, immunology, informatics and metabolism. These focus areas uniquely position us to drive biomedical research and bolster economic development in the region.
As an urban institution with strong roots in rural and tribal health, the college has graduated more than 1,000 physicians and matriculates 130 students each year. Greater than 60% of matriculating students are from Arizona and many continue training at our GME sponsored residency programs, ultimately pursuing local academic and community-based opportunities. While our traditional four-year program continues to thrive, we will launch our recently approved accelerated three-year medical student curriculum with exclusive focus on primary care. This program is designed to further enhance workforce retention needs across Arizona.
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