Medical Students for Choice

As a nursing student and a woman, I am very impressed by this group and their mission. A woman's right to choose is very important to me. I can't believe I didn't hear about them earlier!

I really like the idea of what MSFC does, but they aren't meeting their overall goal--to increase the number of abortion providers in the U.S. The number of providers hasn't changed for the better in years. I gave MSFC the benefit of the doubt for years, waiting for those numbers to improve, but they just haven't. Maybe giving med students access to a support group and education isn't all the useful. I don't know what the answer is, but changes need to be made to programming that actually create more providers in the end.

Med Students for Choice has provided the meeting ground for like-minded students and physicians to connect on reproductive health issues. Reproductive health education is lacking in the current medical school curriculums. MS4C is my education. The fabulous speakers and hands-on workshops help strengthen my skills and knowledge of a critical field of health care.

As a medical student in a conservative area, at a school that is unsupportive of a woman's right to choose - however legal it may remain in the state - Medical Students for Choice has been a godsend. I have been fortunate enough to participate in the leadership of my school's branch for the past three years, and the skills and knowledge I have developed as a result of this organization are invaluable. I have also been fortunate enough to participate in MSFC's Reproductive Health Externship program, which enabled me to gain hands-on training in provision, training to which I would not otherwise have had access.

MSFC is a wonderful organization that fills a much needed service for medical schools, providing education and information about the provision of abortion services, which would otherwise be left out of our curriculum. I have very much enjoyed working with MSFC and have so agreed to lead Brown's chapter, because I was so impressed with teh organizaiton and it's mission

MSFC is one of the best organisations in existance for medical students, and their reach goes beyond borders. I asked for, and received much help even while studying overseas. Thank you so much for being a supportive resource when so many others, including my own medical school, shy away.

Med Students for Choice is a fantastic organization! As a medical student in the south, they have helped me gain access to training and introduced me to inspiring people I otherwise wouldn't have had the opportunity to do. They have supported me and other members in our chapter in attending their National and Regional Conferences, and given us tremendous generosity, support, and encouragement in our chapter's programming. Through Med Students for Choice we have had the opportunity to access a community of providers that gives us the inspiration and confidence to continue to be advocates for choice and demand a quality reproductive health education.

this organization is supportive of medical students, it informs them of anti-choice legislation, and helps fund student research projects in the pro-choice arena.

I think Medical Students for Choice is an important organization. It helps promote a positive environment for discussion of very sensitive topics related to women's health care, including abortion. Moreover, it helps medical students become educated in this matter so that in the future they are able to provide patient-centered care. MSFC is a response to an overwhelming number of anti-abortion propaganda organizations, and it helps the general public form their own educated opinions.

I am part of the executive board of Medical Students for Choice and have enjoyed every experience, thus far. I have had pleasant experiences with MSFC, as most of the organization's goals deal with education and outreach. We live in a technological area, where FOX news and other outlets make outrageous claims, which unfortunately are perceived as truth by many. Part of my experience has dealt with providing individuals with the right information and educating them about the true issues regarding a woman's reproductive rights.

MSFC supports the positive work done by many community non-for-profit agencies that unfortunately face enormous legislative challenges. I've done outreach on behalf of MSFC and these community organizations, and every single time people are very supportive of the work. Their positive attitude and encouragement let's me know that what the organization does is vital, and that we are moving in the right direction.

Medical Students for Choice (MSFC) is a crucial organization that supplements gaps that exist in nearly every medical school's curriculum. I assumed when I started medical school 3 years ago that I would receive a complete and comprehensive education on reproductive health care, women's health, contraception and abortion. I quickly learned that I was wrong. MSFC provides opportunities and support for medical students who want to educate themselves and their peers about these issues that will affect nearly every female patient we encounter in our future careers.

I have been involved in Medical Students for Choice for the last year and I think that it is a great organization that is filling a huge gap in medical education. Reproductive health is so mired in politics that medical students don't learn about abortion, contraception, and holistic healthcare for women in the classroom, and MSFC helps organize and fund opportunities for students to learn these things. I had the opportunity to attend the national conference last winter, and I learned so much and was so inspired that I hope to work in this field once I graduate.

MSFC is a fantastic organization that connects medical students to important resources, inspiring faculty members, interesting research, and most significantly, to each other. Being a part of MSFC has been hugely important to me. It has allowed me to explore the topic of reproductive health and to connect with others who share similar interests. The connections I have formed with fellow MSFCers have been meaningful to me as a student, a future clinician, and a fellow advocate for reproductive rights.

With their help and funding, I have been able to explore the career option of abortion care by spending a substantial amount of time shadowing an abortion provider.

This is beneficial because, for medical students considering career options, practical experience is crucial for decision-making. Even if I choose not to go into the field of abortion care, I will be better able to act as a pro-choice provider when it comes to understanding patient experiences and interpreting patients' medical histories.

In addition, while gaining experience shadowing an abortion provider, I have definitely felt the benefits of the workshop that MSFC has provided to my medical school regarding IUD (intra-uterine device) insertion, MVA (manual vacuum aspiration) technique, and pap smears.

I'm a board member, but also a "constituent." That is to say, I am a pro-choice medical student. Medical Students for Choice has allowed me to learn far more about contraception and reproductive health care than the curriculum at my med school includes. As a result, and with the opportunities that I will have as an upperclassman through MSFC, I know I will be prepared to provide the most comprehensive and accurate care to my patients.

When I began MedSchool, I was afraid that all of my classmates would be from privileged backgrounds, and that I wouldn't be able to build a community around those issues that most mattered to me. As a queer woman of color, Women's health and reproductive rights are keystone issues that I hope to improve upon as a practicing physician. The first MSFC meeting at UC Davis (2010) opened with a picture of Dr. Tiller on the projector which started a crucial conversation on abortion provider attacks. In this way and many others, they have made incredible strides in re framing an emotionally charged and divisive issue into one of healthcare, access to quality care and patient rights.

Without MSFC I would now remarkably little about family planning. This is due not only to the expansive educational opportunities afforded to me directly through the organization, but also thanks to the curriculum reform enacted at my medical school by MSFC members. Thanks to MSFC the world will have 1 more progressive, proactive physician who provides comprehensive family planning care.

MSFC has been instrumental in helping me develop as a future physician. The opportunities to learn through the national office are hard to come by in medical school, and without it I would not know nearly as much about the state of reproductive healthcare. I can positively say that MSFC will benefit many of my patients down the line.

I am a new physician entering the field of OB/GYN and MSFC played an integral role in my medical education. MSFC offered a safe and well-informed community in which to explore my interests in women's health and reproductive rights. They were endlessly supportive and knowledgeable when I arranged activities on my campus and funded and externship with a Family Planning service at another university which proved to be one of the greatest experiences I had during medical school. Thanks to MSFC I was well-prepared and confident in seeking out medical training program which would foster my dedication to women's reproductive rights and train me in ALL areas of women's health, including abortion.

Further more, having been involved with many non-profits and student organizations throughout my education I can honestly say that MSFC is the most well-run and effective groups I have ever worked with. They are highly responsive to members and have specific goals which they execute and fund amazingly. This group IS the catalyst for the revival of well-trained abortion providers in America.

Thanks to the Medical Students for Choice chapter at my campus, and the annual meeting that I attended this year, I have gained a better understanding of how I will obtain the training I need to become an abortion provider.

I am a medical student who recently became involved with MSFC. I have been very impressed by the professional and helpful nature of the organization, and how efficiently it operates. Through MSFC I have had the opportunity to learn more about the issues that affect family planning in the US in a safe and supportive environment. I am also confident that I will also be able to improve my leadership through this organization.

Medical students for Choice is the only pro-choice organization out there that is specifically geared toward increasing the number of abortion providers in Canada and the United States. A critical shortage of abortion providers is one of the major barriers women face when choosing to end a pregnancy. MSFC does a phenomenal job of educating and inspiring medical students to become future abortion providers.

When I began medical school, I had never considered becoming an abortion provider. MSFC made me aware of the great need for these health care professionals, educated me on how and where to get training and became a way for me to meet like-minded and supportive peers and mentors in the women's health field. I am proud of my involvement with MSFC as a former chapter coordinator, a former member of the Student Advisory Council and as a former member of the Board of Directors. MSFC has made me a more caring and compassionate physician and has inspired me to provide abortions when I complete my residency training.

The work MSFC does for women is essential - without abortion providers there is no choice.

As a medical student, it is easy to feel lost in the midst of the predominantly conservative, often male-driven culture of medicine. Through MSFC, I have found a community of physicians and students who share a passion not only for reproductive justice, but all the issues that are closely tied to reproductive rights: women's health, healthcare access, health inequities, feminism, and social justice. I cannot say enough about the contributions that MSFC has and will make to the betterment of reproductive health education and access. On a personal level, it is the organization that has been most powerfully responsible for my personal, social and career-oriented development in medical school.

I am a medical student who has long been interested in women's rights, but did not have the structure or skills to act on those interests until joining MS4C. Through lectures at my school, I learned specifics about different birth control methods, so that I now feel comfortable discussing the pros, cons and contraindications of various methods with patients. The organization helped me get to know other like-minded students so that we could write letters to our congressmen together, and share ideas for future events. I was inspired through my experience in MS4C to come to S. America, where I am currently working with migrant and poor families in workshops to promote self-esteem, to teach job-related skills, and to learn about effective (and accessible) methods of birth control.

I have been involved in MSFC since I was a first year medical student. I first got involved due to my dedication to women's rights, and eventually was so inspired by the people I met and the conferences I participated in, that I eventually opted to change my career plans so that I could provide direct reproductive healthcare to my patients. Without MSFC, I probably would still be on my prior career path, and would undoubtedly find my career much less fulfilling.

As a medical student, it's so easy to get lost in the bustle of academia, and the stress of an unmanageable workload. MSFC is the light at the end of my tunnel, empowering students to care about the state of women's health and showing us how to become the next generation of activists.

I am a second year osteopathic medical student in Arizona and I discovered MSFC when I started medical school. I began attending our chapter's events and then attended the national conventions. In MSFC I found an amazing and supportive community of my peers and fabulous role models. My experiences through local chapter programming and national conventions has helped me tailor my education and stay committed to women's reproductive health and justice. I have been so impressed with the organizations and their grass roots leaders that I applied to be a regional coordinator and i look forward to spending the next year working with my region's chapters to expand MSFC activities and awareness on medical school campuses.

I first became involve in MSFC when I was 1st year medical student. I've always been pro-choice but this organization really opened my eyes and helped me understand the core issues in reproductive health and women's rights to safe and healthy abortion care. The organization is truly selfless and works endlessly to educate the future physicians of America so they can advocate for their patients and provide necessary healthcare services in a safe and non-judgmental environment.

Medical Students for Choice is the best organization I have ever worked with. The staff works tirelessly everyday to ensure the mission of the organization is fulfilled. There is no other organization like MSFC-working to protect reproductive choices of all women through creating more providers and changing school curriculum. I am honored to work with this group of amazing people.

I participated in my first MSFC event in 1992 as a second year medical student. I am proud of everthing MSFC has accomplished in the last 18 years. As a medical school faculty member I am constantly impressed by the students involved in MSCF today.

Medical Students for Choice is an amazing organization, the national office provides so much support to our local chapter. I have learned so much from MSFC and plan to be an active member throughout medical school, and would encourage others to become involved.

Medical Students for Choice is an amazing organization that helps advocate for education about full spectrum womens reproductive services, including contraception and abortion services for ALL physicians regardless of whether they are OB/GYNS, family doctors, surgeons, specialists or abortion providers. They realize the widespread utilization of they servivces by women and recognize the need of all physicians to be able to discuss they options with their patients. They provide help to establish medical school curriculum adressing these issues and help individuals seeking more training to get access.

Medical Students for Choice is an amazing organization, without them, students would not have the multitude of opportunities MSFC provides. I just finished my MSFC externship, and it was an amazing experience. Through this experience, I learned about medical problems and procedures that I would not have otherwise learned until my residency. Thanks Medical Students for Choice!

Medical Students for Choice is an amazing organization aimed at advocating to make all options available for women who find themselves pregnant. Most pregnancy testing centers do not offer women the option of having an abortion, leaving women with unwanted pregnancies terrified for their future and without any choice. MS4C is aimed at teaching future physicians the importance of options and choices when advocating for their patients. They are also removing the social stigma of abortion by providing sound research about how common the procedure is in the U.S. and safe it can be when it is legal and done by professionals.

MSFC is truly an inspiration leading physicians to be trained in the best patient care for women. They are promoting proper education in reproductive health care and promoting patient rights. I am so happy to be involved in this noble cause.

MSFC is an integral part of spreading information regarding reproductive health to medical students. For a variety of reasons, the full gamut of reproductive options is not given enough room in the standard medical school curriculum. MSFC allows some of these shortcomings to be addressed, at least for interested students.

MSFC is an incredibly supportive, involved, and innovative organization that I am proud to call myself a member of. This organization seeks to develop well-informed and proactive health care professionals that are working towards a better future. I hope that this organization may continue to have support for many years to come.

MSFC is an incredibly motivated organization. Its members truly care about improving access to abortion and have a discrete goal, making it a very effective and driven organization.

MS4C has been an amazing organization that has encouraged to follow my values in my career. I'm currently a 3rd year medical student at the University of Saskatchewan and sometimes school can be overwhelming and debilitating. MS4C, with their conferences, enlightening newsletters, and generous funding, has enabled to me to remember why I went into medicine in the first place. It is an also an amazing organization for standing up for what it believes in and having the guts to take on naysayers.

MSFC is a dynamic, unique organization operated on the grassroots level by dedicated medical students who understand that without providers, we have no choice. When I attended my first MSFC meeting, I knew that this group of people were the students I had been longing for since starting medical school. You cannot find a more compassionate, intelligent, interesting group of people.

Our medical school's chapter of Medical Students for Choice has played an an essential role in creating and implementing curriculum reform. Because of MSFC, our medical school recently introduced clinical electives that provide exposure to contraception and termination as well as options counseling--the cornerstones of family planning.

MSFC is all inclusive and an excellent tool for educating health professionals. Students are the future leaders of health care and MSFC allows comfortable discussion of and learning about issues relevant to our lives as future health professionals.

Medical Students for Choice educates current medical students about how to support a woman's right to reproductive freedom. That means students learn about supporting women in their decisions about whether or not to use birth control, to have a baby and how to best care for themselves and their fetus during pregnancy. The same group has helped make necklaces to help women track their most fertile days of their cycle for women who choose the rhythm method of birth control, as well as trained with abortion providers. This organization has no agenda except training future physicians to protect a woman's right to choose what is best for her.

Great way to be involved with important Women's health issues. We worked to raise awareness of the role of future physicians in providing family planning services and exploring their views on abortion.

MSFC is a great organization because its mission is so targeted. It reaches out to medical students, residents, and the programs that shape their training, aiming specifically to enrich our curriculums and our day-to-day experiences with discussions and training about women's health and reproductive health. Advocacy for access to reproductive health services is important, but MSFC goes a step further by actually building that access from the ground up.

I became involved with Medical Students for Choice in my first year of medical school. I chose to become involved initially simply because I am pro-choice and was interested in what the organization had to say. At that time I was planning a career in Internal Medicine with a subspecialty in Infectious Diseases. I attended several MSFC meetings put together by student organizers with help from the MSFC national office. I was deeply moved by the stories of abortion providers and their patients. I learned of the incredibly obstacles both can face in providing and accessing women's health care. Even more startling to me was the shortage of trained providers that I learned about at these meetings. I chose to take on a leadership role in MSFC for the last two years of medical school. I was able to see firsthand how the organization promotes education of medical students on the topics of abortion and contraception which are often inadequately covered or not covered at all in medical school curricula. I also saw how the organization enabled large groups of students to find direction and a supportive community of like-minded students and mentors. In addition, I was able to experience how the organization functions from the level of the board of directors. I was impressed by MSFC's financial responsibility and commitment to ensuring the highest possible proportion of money raised goes to programming for medical students. I wholeheartedly support this organization and can personally attest that it was a catalyst for me personally and professionally--I now plan to become a family physician and devote my energy to women's health care. I plan to obtain training in abortion provision so I can provide the full range of reproductive health care to my patients. I also plan to continue to advocate for reproductive justice for all people.

MS4C has provided me with a community of other med students passionate about the same things I am: safe options for women, eduction and connecting with other students. Our MS4C chapter was really active this past year and hosted a number of interesting panels, including one on Clergy's viewpoints about choice. It turned out really well.

In my medical school, and in much of the US, MS4C serves a critical role in the education of medical students, providing essential information and experience in women's health that students wouldn't otherwise receive. The simple and well-organized structure of the organization, run primarily by passionate and dedicated medical students, makes it the most effective organization I've worked with. MS4C has shaped my medical school experience, and given me the necessary tools to advocate for women's health.

MS4C has shaped my career choices and empowered me to be a women's health advocate. It gave me a venue to learn more about abortion care, stigmatization and legislation. The organization also inspired, motivated and connected me with important mentors and like-minded individuals from across the country. It is well organized and run by passionate individuals with an emphasis on grass roots change.

MSFC is one of the most efficiently and effectively run nonprofits I have ever come across. Its mission is unique, and critical to the future of women's health. Its influence is far-reaching and money donated to MSFC is well utilized.

Medical Students for Choice is, to me, a model non-profit organization. It serves 10,000 medical students in the U.S. and Canada and medical students (the population it serves) run the Board of Directors and guide the strategic goals for the organization. The Executive Director, Lois Backus, is brilliant and talented yet always doggedly focused on the mission, core values and grassroots approach of the organization. The Board is committed, diverse and multilateral in its approach. The organization has made a huge difference in the lives and education of thousands of medical students and recent data suggests that it has increased the number of physicians providing essential reproductive health services to women.

MSFC is one of the most well-organized, dynamic and socially responsible non-profits I have ever had the pleasure of working with. I have worked with many organizations within organized medicine, in addition to non-profits in the general sector. I think MSFC's leadership, structural organization and ability to define and accomplish its goals is unprecedented in the non-profit field. They are truly a star.

MSFC is an incredible, dynamic organization made up of medical students and professionals changing the way students are taught about abortion and reproductive healthcare. In the face of the "graying" of America's abortion providers and the threat of this choice, MSFC works to ensure women of the future have a doctor they can turn to who will provide them with the care they need in a difficult time in their lives.

When I started medical school, I had no idea how fragile reproductive choice was. After attending my first Medical Students for Choice meeting, I found not only a group of like-minded, socially-conscious colleagues, but also a cause I could really commit to. MSFC is changing the face of abortion provision by ensuring that medical students are taught contraception and abortion that may otherwise go unmentioned throughout one's medical education.

When I attended the MSFC conference I learned new topics related to women's health care. There were several topics I would have never considered. This organization opened my eyes to health care in politics also.

Through MSFC, I have learned how to provide women with all of their reproductive health options. My medical school does not make this information readily available to students, and without MSFC, I would not have had access to it. With MSFC's help, our chapter was able to approach our school's administration and advocate for curriculum change that would accurately and more completely inform future physicians about contraception and family planning.

Medical Students for Choice has given me direction in my personal mission to promote and protect the health and well being of every girl and woman I meet in a clinical setting. The national office and regional coordinators really work hard to keep MSFC members involved, so that we can in turn help educate our fellow peers at our medical schools.

MSFC provides a valuable service to medical students, residents, and North American women by ensuring quality education and training opportunities. It is an excellent organization, one I support with my time, money, and voice.

Medical Students for Choice has played a major role in shaping not only my medical education but me as a person. Through workshops and educational experiences I have learned what I want to do with my life and what kind of physician I hope to become. MSFC has shaped my education by encouraging me to provide reproductive services for women and allowing me to impact my fellow medical students to become educated compationate physicians.

Medical Students for Choice provides education and opportunities to medical students interested in learning more about comprehensive reproductive health, including abortions. This organization is especially important in areas where medical education may be hindered due to access issues. I currently serve as President and Founder of the chapter at my school, and MSFC has provided endless support, numerous materials, and helped fund an internship with an abortion provider this summer.

Through MSFC, medical students have a strong, collective voice with which to advocate for women's reproductive rights. MSFC is organized, supportive, and ready to help medical students use that voice and strengthen their education around abortion and other reproductive choices to better the care of many patients. I am able to supplement my knowledge outside of the school's lecture halls with MSFC as a sturdy guide.

MSFC is supportive of our medical education. It is important that future physicians learn about the choices available to their patients, including their choices in pregnancy termination or continuity. MSFC hosted a very informative and interesting conference that I attended through my school's chapter. It was well organized. We came back with information and ideas, excited to implement them in our medical education and in our programing as an organization. MSFC's support of our chapter helps us to bring this excitement and knowledge of choice to our fellow classmates.

Ms4c has been the most supportive, awesome and inspiration group I've gotten involved with since starting medical school. This is such an important cause that is often not acknowledged in our curriculums, so they have a super important role