Make a Gift
The Department of Family Medicine and Population Health is committed to providing our patients with the best possible care, to training the next generation of physicians, and to creating new knowledge that improves our educational, clinical, and research programs.
From medical education and residency programs that take learners across the Commonwealth of Virginia and throughout the world, to research initiatives that challenge existing practice methods and develop better ways of providing care, the department has a track record of innovation in serving our patients and our students. However, this creativity isn't possible without the support of our alumni and friends.
The Department of Family Medicine and Population Health benefits from the generosity of the alumni and friends who have made philanthropic gifts to funds that support student scholarships, lectureships, and endowed chairs.
Current Funding Priorities
The department maintains numerous endowments that provide short- and long-term financial support to which gifts of all sizes are welcomed, including:
Family Medicine Scholars Training and Admission program (fmSTAT) Scholarship Fund
Gifts to the fmSTAT Scholarship Fund continue to build an endowment to provide fmScholars the equivalent of one year’s tuition disbursed in a manner to both attract and retain students who will become family physicians.
Established in 2012, the Family Medicine Scholars Training and Admission program (fmSTAT) is a dual admission program unique to VCU. It is designed for selected individuals who upon matriculation intend to become family physicians. Thanks to the innovative thinking of our faculty and the School of Medicine’s strong commitment, VCU continues to strive to meet the primary care workforce needs of Virginia and the nation.
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Paul J. Munson Faculty Development Endowment Fund
This fund was created to honor Paul J. Munson, EdD’s distinguished career as an educator who promoted educational and leadership development, especially among physicians. The purpose of the fund is to help faculty enhance their teaching, educational design or leadership skills. In addition to providing faculty members with support, the funds may also be used for programming and engagement of mentors or facilitators to assist learners in pursuit of educational or leadership excellence. All efforts supported by this fund will be designed to honor Dr. Munson’s legacy of designing and teaching others how to create experiences that promote meaningful learning.
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David W. Marsland Chair for Research in Family Medicine
We are a national leader in research that improves the care for patients, and much of that success is the result of the outstanding work and leadership of Dr. David Marsland, a US Army veteran who served the Department from 1972 until his retirement in 2006. Dr. Marsland was the leader of the Virginia Study – a comprehensive analysis of the content of Family Medicine – and developed innovative ways to do research in primary care practices. He identified and recruited world-class investigators whose talent and commitment are essential for our mission of continuously improving the primary care received by patients.
To continue this record of excellence, we are working to establish the David W. Marsland Chair Endowment for Research in Family Medicine. Our goal is to build a fund in the MCV Foundation of at least one million dollars, whose annual investment income will support the salary of an exceptional investigator and thereby help ensure continuing research to improve the primary care of Virginians and all people in the US.
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Additional Family Medicine Giving Opportunities
While the fmSTAT, Munson, and Marsland funds represent our current funding priorities, we have many other funds that provide vital support to our department, including:
Dr. Saba Masho Endowed Scholarship in Epidemiology
This scholarship fund was initiated in 2018 by a contribution from Dr. Abraham Teklu in loving memory of his wife, Saba W. Masho, MD, MPH, DrPH. Since then, interested friends, colleagues, and alumni have started making contributions toward the scholarship fund to provide substantial and meaningful support for PhD and MPH students in epidemiology and public health. The endowed scholarship honors the impact and legacy of Dr. Masho’s outstanding contributions to public health through her many years of dedicated teaching, mentoring, and research at Virginia Commonwealth University. Click to make a gift.
On the donation page, click on the drop-down menu (that reads “School of Medicine”) and select “Search for other funds.” Then enter "Masho" in the “Search for a fund” box that appears, in order to identify the Saba Masho, M.D., M.P.H., Dr. P.H. Endowed Scholarship in Epidemiology and proceed to make your donation.
Frances and James Harris Scholarship Fund
The Frances and James Harris Scholarship fund was established by the VCU Department of Family Medicine and Population Health in memory of James “Jimmy” Harris who was an alumnus of Hampden-Sydney and the VCU School of Medicine, and a founding faculty member of the rural VCU Blackstone Family Medicine Residency program. Many of the students and residents who trained at Blackstone are now serving in rural communities in Southside, Virginia and throughout Virginia.
This fund will provide scholarships for deserving VCU School of Medicine graduates who enter the field of family medicine and who commit to serving in a rural community in Southside, Virginia or elsewhere in the state.
The Department of Family Medicine and Population Health has created a special track for students interested in careers in rural family medicine and the School of Medicine has provided new permanent funds to ensure the continued success of that program. These students will be given preferential consideration for the Harris Scholarship. Click to make a gift.
On the donation page, click on the drop-down menu (that reads “School of Medicine”) and select “Search for other funds.” Then enter "James Harris" in the “Search for a fund” box that appears, in order to identify the Frances and James Harris Scholarship, and proceed to make your donation.
Harris-Mayo Chair
The Harris-Mayo Chair is named in honor of Dr. A. Epes Harris, founding Director of the VCU Blackstone Family Medicine Program, and Dr. Fitzhugh Mayo, founding Chairman of the Department. In the late 1960s, they saw a crisis developing in the public's access to primary health care. Together, they worked tirelessly to develop Family Medicine in Virginia, and were instrumental in generating public support for training programs. The endowment allows the Department Chair to stimulate innovations across the spectrum of our educational and research programs. Click to make a gift.
On the donation page, click on the drop-down menu (that reads “School of Medicine”) and select “Search for other funds.” Then enter "Mayo" in the “Search for a fund” box that appears, in order to identify the Harris-Mayo Chair in Family Medicine, and proceed to make your donation.
You can make your gift to these or to any other existing fund at the MCV Foundation in a number of ways:
- through a secure online form
- outright gifts by check or credit card
- gifts of appreciated securities
- planned gifts
We invite you to learn more about how you can make your gift. If you would like to talk to someone about your gift, please contact Jodi T. Smith with the School of Medicine Development Office at (804) 628-2248 or jtsmith@vcu.edu
