Pfizer gift creates scholarship in Minority Medical Journalism - noteworthy news - University of North Carolina School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Black Issues in Higher Education, July 3, 2003

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.

The University of North Carolina School of Journalism and Mass Communication has received a $100,000 gift to create a new graduate scholarship designed to improve media coverage of minority health issues.

The gift, from the Pfizer Medical Humanities Initiative, will establish the Pfizer Minority Medical Journalism Scholarship in the school's medical journalism program. The award will provide a $4,000 stipend and full tuition for each of the first three semesters of the two-year program, plus two years of health insurance.

"The Pfizer Minority Medical Journalism Scholarship helps to ensure that the health and medical issues that disproportionately impact underserved minorities in our societies will continue to have a prominent place in the future of medical reporting," says Dr. Michael Magee, director of the Pfizer Medical Humanities Initiative, a part of the Pfizer pharmaceutical and health-care products company.

"This scholarship is a tremendous opportunity for a graduate student to receive training in medical journalism," says Dr. Tom Linden, program director. "Our hope is that the student, upon graduation, will report about minority health issues, which receive little coverage in our popular media."

Recent program graduates have secured jobs at Long Island's Newsday, Voice of America, the National Institutes of Health and other organizations.

To seek the scholarship, candidates must apply to the medical journalism program and complete admissions requirements. They also must submit a 500-word autobiographical sketch demonstrating commitment to the intent of the award, as well as three writing samples, preferably in journalistic form. Candidates also must have an undergraduate grade-point average better than 3.0 and demonstrate financial need. The application deadline is Jan. 1 for admission the following fall.

For more information about the Pfizer Minority Medical Journalism Scholarship and the Medical Journalism Program, please visit the school's Web site at <www.jomc.unc.edu/medicaljournalism>.