Zineb to Oxford
Donation protected
[Edit: The campaign is over. Thank you all so much for your support and your help. I am so humbled and so grateful for your generosity. It is beyond words! My success is your success]
My name is Dr. Zineb Bentounsi, an aspiring female global surgeon from Morocco. I have been accepted to pursue a Masters in International Health and Tropical Medicine at the University of Oxford, knowing that I would only be able to pursue this degree, this dream, if a scholarship would follow. Unfortunately, the ultimate date of notification for scholarships was May, 31st. This morning, on June, 1st, I woke up without news in my mailbox - my dream, once so close, is now fleeting far away.
I recently graduated from medical school in Casablanca, Morocco, a middle-income country in Northern Africa struck by disparities in accessing healthcare and training opportunities for doctors across the country, even more so as a female graduate pursuing a surgical career. From early on in medical school I have tried to resist the so-called norms in our culture and raised my voice for equity, in terms of gender, socio-economic status, and any other determinant. I co-founded Medec’IN-Casa, the medical students’ association at my university, to connect with the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) on a global level. Little over two years ago, I was co-founder and current co-Chair of InciSioN - International Student Surgical Network, the world’s largest network for students and residents in Global Surgery.
With InciSioN, we have created a platform for over 3,000 students, residents, and young doctors in over 70 countries to connect with each other and leaders in the field, gain experience in Global Surgery -through research, virtual internships, and scholarships- and advocate for the 5 billion people that lack access to safe surgery and anaesthesia care worldwide. Coming from an LMIC, I have always been aware of and passionate about making a change in this world. Thanks to the support of mentors abroad and Global Surgery champions that will forever be my idols and role models, I have been given the chance to speak up at the international stage, awarded travel scholarships to attend and present at the Bethune Round Table 2018 in Toronto, the Nesta meeting to develop the Surgical Equity Prize in Milan, the Global Surgical Frontiers 2017 conference at the Royal College of Surgeons in London, and many more. As vice-chair of the InciSioN Global Surgery Symposium 2018, I helped bring 12 fully funded Travel Scholars from 12 different LMICs to Leuven, Belgium to attend a global conference with 50 different nationalities and 33 expert speakers from 5 different continents, whilst traveling there at my own expenses through work money from back home.
Paneling at the BeyondBorders: The Future of Global Surgery conference at the Royal Society of Medicine in London, UK in 2016, to bring the voice of LMIC trainees among a panel of leaders as Mr. Andy Leather, Mr. Chris Lavy, and Mr. Shafi Ahmed.
Most of all, I’ve had the honour of bringing Global Surgery to Morocco through organizing the world’s first Global Neurosurgery conference ever to take place. In November 2017, future neurosurgeons from all over Morocco, neighbouring countries, and Europe traveled to Rabat, Morocco, the neurosurgical training hub of the African Region to listen to world-leading neurosurgeons and finding their way to bring neurosurgical care to everyone in need.
Together with the rest of my Organizing Committee and keynote speakers for the Global Neurosurgery Conference 2017, including Dr. Kee Park (Harvard PGSSC), Dr. Walt Johnson (WHO EESC, Lead), Dr. Tariq Khan (WFNS Neurotraumatology, Chair), and Dr. Najia El Abbadi (WFNS Women in Neurosurgery, Chair)
Equity is a funny thing. As much as I dreamt, hoped, and spoke up for an equal world, I am now defeated. In a last attempt, feeling morally uncomfortable requesting for help, but still determined to change this world for the better, I am hoping to keep my flame alive through your support and generosity.
By July 15th, I am expected to cover my tuition fees of 36,000GBP(40,000 euros; 46,500 dollars) if I want to pursue my dream. My parents, supportive as ever, can puzzle loans and savings together to cover my living expenses as a student in Oxford but not my tuition fees. Here you can find more information about the fees.
I also included below a screenshot from the University of Oxford website.
The money raised with this campaign will directly go towards my tuition fees!
Any contribution and sharing of this crowdfunder will get me one step closer to Oxford, to bring my experiences, knowledge, and increased motivation back home to make a change in the world, but especially my own country.
In return for your generosity, I am committing to return the following for the respective pledges:
25 euros pledge
I will publicly thank you on social media.
100 euros pledge
I will send you a personal postcard upon arriving in Oxford.
500 euros pledge
I will translate a manuscript/report up to 50 pages in French.
1000 euros pledge
I will host you in Casablanca, Morocco for up to 2 days and show you around the city.
2000 euros pledge
I will host you in Casablanca, Morocco for up to 5 days and show you around the city.
5000 euros pledge
Acknowledgement in my final project/thesis at the end of my studies at the University of Oxford and all the above.
With love and eternal gratitude I would like to thank you for your support over the years and helping me achieve my dream.
Yours truly,
Zineb
My name is Dr. Zineb Bentounsi, an aspiring female global surgeon from Morocco. I have been accepted to pursue a Masters in International Health and Tropical Medicine at the University of Oxford, knowing that I would only be able to pursue this degree, this dream, if a scholarship would follow. Unfortunately, the ultimate date of notification for scholarships was May, 31st. This morning, on June, 1st, I woke up without news in my mailbox - my dream, once so close, is now fleeting far away.
I recently graduated from medical school in Casablanca, Morocco, a middle-income country in Northern Africa struck by disparities in accessing healthcare and training opportunities for doctors across the country, even more so as a female graduate pursuing a surgical career. From early on in medical school I have tried to resist the so-called norms in our culture and raised my voice for equity, in terms of gender, socio-economic status, and any other determinant. I co-founded Medec’IN-Casa, the medical students’ association at my university, to connect with the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) on a global level. Little over two years ago, I was co-founder and current co-Chair of InciSioN - International Student Surgical Network, the world’s largest network for students and residents in Global Surgery.
With InciSioN, we have created a platform for over 3,000 students, residents, and young doctors in over 70 countries to connect with each other and leaders in the field, gain experience in Global Surgery -through research, virtual internships, and scholarships- and advocate for the 5 billion people that lack access to safe surgery and anaesthesia care worldwide. Coming from an LMIC, I have always been aware of and passionate about making a change in this world. Thanks to the support of mentors abroad and Global Surgery champions that will forever be my idols and role models, I have been given the chance to speak up at the international stage, awarded travel scholarships to attend and present at the Bethune Round Table 2018 in Toronto, the Nesta meeting to develop the Surgical Equity Prize in Milan, the Global Surgical Frontiers 2017 conference at the Royal College of Surgeons in London, and many more. As vice-chair of the InciSioN Global Surgery Symposium 2018, I helped bring 12 fully funded Travel Scholars from 12 different LMICs to Leuven, Belgium to attend a global conference with 50 different nationalities and 33 expert speakers from 5 different continents, whilst traveling there at my own expenses through work money from back home.
Paneling at the BeyondBorders: The Future of Global Surgery conference at the Royal Society of Medicine in London, UK in 2016, to bring the voice of LMIC trainees among a panel of leaders as Mr. Andy Leather, Mr. Chris Lavy, and Mr. Shafi Ahmed.Most of all, I’ve had the honour of bringing Global Surgery to Morocco through organizing the world’s first Global Neurosurgery conference ever to take place. In November 2017, future neurosurgeons from all over Morocco, neighbouring countries, and Europe traveled to Rabat, Morocco, the neurosurgical training hub of the African Region to listen to world-leading neurosurgeons and finding their way to bring neurosurgical care to everyone in need.
Together with the rest of my Organizing Committee and keynote speakers for the Global Neurosurgery Conference 2017, including Dr. Kee Park (Harvard PGSSC), Dr. Walt Johnson (WHO EESC, Lead), Dr. Tariq Khan (WFNS Neurotraumatology, Chair), and Dr. Najia El Abbadi (WFNS Women in Neurosurgery, Chair)Equity is a funny thing. As much as I dreamt, hoped, and spoke up for an equal world, I am now defeated. In a last attempt, feeling morally uncomfortable requesting for help, but still determined to change this world for the better, I am hoping to keep my flame alive through your support and generosity.
By July 15th, I am expected to cover my tuition fees of 36,000GBP(40,000 euros; 46,500 dollars) if I want to pursue my dream. My parents, supportive as ever, can puzzle loans and savings together to cover my living expenses as a student in Oxford but not my tuition fees. Here you can find more information about the fees.
I also included below a screenshot from the University of Oxford website.
The money raised with this campaign will directly go towards my tuition fees!
Any contribution and sharing of this crowdfunder will get me one step closer to Oxford, to bring my experiences, knowledge, and increased motivation back home to make a change in the world, but especially my own country.
In return for your generosity, I am committing to return the following for the respective pledges:
25 euros pledge
I will publicly thank you on social media.
100 euros pledge
I will send you a personal postcard upon arriving in Oxford.
500 euros pledge
I will translate a manuscript/report up to 50 pages in French.
1000 euros pledge
I will host you in Casablanca, Morocco for up to 2 days and show you around the city.
2000 euros pledge
I will host you in Casablanca, Morocco for up to 5 days and show you around the city.
5000 euros pledge
Acknowledgement in my final project/thesis at the end of my studies at the University of Oxford and all the above.
With love and eternal gratitude I would like to thank you for your support over the years and helping me achieve my dream.
Yours truly,
Zineb
Organizer
Zineb Bentounsi
Organizer