Robert Wood Johnson
I
MEDICINE 35
Dear Alumni and Friends:
I
t is my pleasure to welcome you to the spring issue of Robert Wood Johnson Medicine!
I look forward to many exciting activities and events of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Alumni
Association this year. There will be many opportunities to mentor current students, reunite with classmates,
and better define how the Alumni Association can best serve our school's alumni.
I was delighted to see familiar faces as well as meet new alumni who joined us at the 27th Annual Career
Night (see page 36). As assistant dean for student affairs at the medical school, I know that our students were
excited to meet and learn from alumni and were very appreciative of their time and efforts.
The Day in the Life Program is another opportunity for our alumni to provide informal mentorship to the
students. I would love to see this program expanded beyond the New Jersey/New York area. It would be a won-
derful opportunity for our students to have alumni contacts in other states whom they can talk to and meet
throughout their clinical years when they are on away rotations or on the interview trail. If you are interested
in being part of our Day in the Life Program, please contact Roberta Ribner at ribnerrs@rwjms.rutgers.edu.
On April 11, we will host our Fifth Annual Scholarship Gala, at the Hyatt Regency New Brunswick. This
scholarship event has helped us provide talented medical students in need with support during difficult finan-
cial times. Last year, the Gala raised $135,000, from which we awarded 10 scholarships in the amount of
$10,000 each. I look forward to seeing everyone there!
Through our other annual fundraising efforts, the Alumni Association provides additional scholarships and
low-interest loans to our students. Thank you for your contributions and continued dedication to helping stu-
dents defray the ever-rising costs of medical education. Without your steadfast support, the dream of becom-
ing a physician may not have been possible for many of our students.
The Alumni Association is a great way for you to stay connected to our school,
our students, and one another. We welcome all alumni and invite you to contact
Roberta Ribner if you are interested in learning more about the Alumni Association.
The mission of the Alumni Association is to provide opportunities for you to share
your professional and personal growth and achievements with our alumni family.
Please share with us your career, practice, and family updates for our "Class Notes."
I am particularly interested in hearing from alumni on how the association can
better serve your needs. Please join us on Facebook (www.facebook.com).
I want to thank the past presidents of the Alumni Association and members of the
Board of Trustees for all the work that they have done and continue to do. It is my hope that we can continue
to grow our alumni base, strive for excellence, and accomplish great things together this year.
L E T T E R F R O M T H E
A L U M N I A S S O C I A T I O N
P R E S I D E N T
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Sincerely,
Sonia Garcia Laumbach, MD '99
President, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Alumni Association
P.S. Gifts to the Alumni Association Annual Fund can be made by credit card on the Rutgers University
Foundation website at: http://support.rutgers.edu/RWJMSAlumni, or you may also mail your gift in the
envelope enclosed in the magazine.