Med School sells itself for charity

Going, going -- sold to the gentleman in the white lab coat. More than 50 Medical School students, faculty and staff emptied their pockets Friday in the John Morgan Building during the school's third annual charity auction. The event raised about $3,800 for Women Against Abuse, the only Philadelphia-based shelter that provides emergency help for battered women and children. The location of the shelter is kept secret to protect the identities of its residents. "Because the statistics say that a woman is beaten every 13 seconds, you can imagine the amount of phone calls we get," said WAA official Marily Horsey. "Through your generosity today you will be ably to provide emergency crisis intervention [for women]." Organizers auctioned off a total of 96 gift certificates, pieces of clothing and art, and promises to render special services. Babysitting, moving and massage services were among the many items available to the highest bidders, as was a wool Icelandic sweater coat valued at $230 and artwork by Emergency Medicine Professor Steven Larson. A silent auction began the afternoon's events, where students and faculty members wrote down their highest bids for smaller items such as tennis lessons and a private piano concert. Before the bidding began, Pediatrics Professor Ken Ginsburg set the tone for the event by emphasizing that attendees had the potential to help battered women long after the auction ended. "I want you to know that after you leave this room, you have the power as physicians to prevent domestic violence if you ask the right questions," he said. During the live auction, some items -- like a one-year membership to the World Gym at 20th and Sansom streets --Ewent fast. Third-year Medical student Jason Lee paid $225 for the membership, explaining that "it's for a great cause and it's a good value too." Other items, like the textbook Fluids and Electrolytes written by Medical School Senior Vice Dean Richard Tannen, were a little harder to sell. In an effort to convince the students that the book was a valuable resource, Tannen rationalized, "the heart keeps us alive, but the kidney keeps us peeing." The auction was sponsored by the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association, Boriqua/Latino Health Organization and the Student National Medical Association. Three years ago, APAMSA developed the idea for an auction and decided to collaborate with other minority groups in the Medical School. Many of the students organizers had been involved in auctions while in their undergraduate years, and decided that it was a worthwhile project. Lynn Seng, the director of special education projects for the Medical School, praised the event's organizers. "It's one thing for students to become leaders of their own particular group," Seng said. "But for students to reach out to other groups represents a real growth initiative."

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.