Scholarship Information
The Benjamin McAllister Scholarship Fund
The Benjammin McAllister Scholarship Fund was born out of an outpouring of generosity from those who knew and loved Ben while he was battling cancer. After Ben’s passing, the idea was born, in collaboration with Ben’s doctor Dr. Peter O’Donnell, as a way to use the extra funds from this initial support to carry on Ben’s legacy.
We are grateful that we are able to honor Ben’s life and legacy by supporting young medical students and fellows at the University of Chicago. These aspiring medical professionals will be the next generation of physicians and researchers who share Dr. O’Donnell’s passion and drive to make a difference in the cancer field and care of patients.
We are proud to share that 100% of funds raised through BenJammin Bash events goes directly towards these research scholarships. Following the reception of the scholarship, these students and fellows continue to stay connected to the McAllister family and those who donate by sharing their work and advancements, allowing us to truly see the impact of each dollar donated.
The Benjamin McAllister Scholarship Fund consists of four unique scholarships highlighting different areas of care and research.
The Benjamin McAllister Fund for Medicine and Research Education
The University of Chicago Medicine and the Pritzker School of Medicine are dedicated to inspiring students and trainees of exceptional promise and preparing them to become the leading physicians, scientists, researchers, and educators of tomorrow. These scholarships fund opportunities under Dr. Peter H. O’Donnell – enabling Ben’s legacy to live on in their research and accomplishments.
The Benjamin McAllister Summer Scholar
Under close mentorship from faculty like Dr. O’Donnell, students spend twelve weeks working on a research project. The program has proven to be so enriching and significant for participants that 50 percent of participating students continue to develop their project through the remainder of their time in medical school.
The Summer Research Project is the core of the education of our students and the building blocks from which we developed the Scholarship and Discovery Tracks within Pritzker’s curriculum.
The Summer Research Project is unique because few schools provide the mentorship and structure that Pritzker does, coupled with a generous stipend of $5,600. All medical students are encouraged to participate, noting the imprint this program makes in their research careers.
Your gift would provide a stipend for one student per year who will be known as the Benjamin McAllister Scholar.
The Benjamin McAllister Research Award
The Benjamin McAllister Research Award will provide a financial award to one or more students per year who have demonstrated outstanding performance in research, making it possible for these talented students to continue their research and bring their work to the forefront of medical research.
Students will apply for the Benjamin McAllister Research Award and will be able to use the funds towards enriching their research experiences—for example, to cover expenses such as conference fees and travel or lab fees.
The Benjamin McAllister Research Fellow
The 2-year fellowship program in Pharmacogenomics, for which Dr. O’Donnell is a faculty research mentor, provides research support and a stipend for a fellow in the area of pharmacogenomics and pharmacogenomic clinical implementation. Trainees will have the ability to develop clinical research expertise within an established research group with the University of Chicago Center for Personalized Therapeutics.
This enables Ben’s legacy to live on through a mentee of Dr. O’Donnell’s who would be given the award to support specialized post-doctoral training following graduation from medical school or a doctoral program.
Meet Dr. Peter O’Donnell
Each Benjamin McAllister Scholarship Fund recipient is chosen by and works under the guidance of Ben’s cancer doctor, Dr. Peter O’Donnell at the University of Chicago. We are grateful for his passion to honor Ben through supporting young medical students and fellows who will go on to be the next generation of physicians and researchers. The students and fellows he works with are making a difference in the field of cancer and in the care of patients and we are grateful to partner with them to support their efforts.
Read more about Dr. O’Donnell’s research at the link below.
Ways to Give
To make a contribution to the University of Chicago Medicine you can give two ways:
- Online via: giving.uchicago.edu/ben-jammin-bash
- Mail a check made payable to the University of Chicago with the memo “Benjamin McAllister Fund” to:
University of Chicago
Office of Medicine and Biological Sciences
C/O Kyra Cline
130 E. Randolph, Suite 2500
Chicago, IL 60601