More than 100 supporters, donors, students, faculty, and staff participated in the fourth annual UC Riverside School of Medicine Celebration of Medical Education on Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021. The fundraising event was held online for the second consecutive year due to COVID-19 restrictions.

In keeping with tradition, the event was a salute to UC Riverside’s nearly 50-year history of medical education, with an emphasis the impact being made through the Mission Award Scholarship Program. The Mission Award provides students with the funds to support their medical education in exchange for their commitment that they will practice as  primary care physicians in Inland Southern California for at least five years.

“The Mission Award allows our students to make an early commitment to return as practicing physicians to the Inland Empire,” said Deborah Deas, M.D., M.P.H., vice chancellor for Health Affairs and the Mark and Pam Rubin Dean of the School of Medicine. “This directly contributes to addressing the ongoing physician shortage in our region.”

Deas then announced that the event had met its fundraising goal for a full, four-year Mission Award scholarship.

“I would like to say a special thank you to all of you. Because of your support, that of Eric Anderson and Anderson Community Partners match pool, and the contributions of UCR Foundation Board members, I am delighted to announce that we have reached our $175,000 goal to fund a full, four-year, mission award scholarship,” she said.