Corporate support: The cornerstone of the retreat's success

Abstract

Corporate support for the Interdisciplinary Women's Health Education Retreat 2000 and the subsequent publication of the Women's Health Care Competencies for Medical Students did not come easily—precisely because of the small size of the medical education community and because the end product did not have a tangible or immediate return on investment.However, we witnessed senior industry representatives persuading the younger, more market-oriented representatives to “give and give more” to programs and projects like this one with collaborative opportunities to sustain educational missions that align with those of our corporate partners. “Industry supporting this endeavor,” stated Ernest Thompson, Director, Professional Affairs, Women's Health Care Franchise, Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, in soliciting support for the 2000 retreat, “is the right thing to do for the continued improvement of women's health care.” We witnessed both honor and altruism in our corporate support and were very pleased and continue to be privileged to work collaboratively with these industry professionals.The Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics (APGO) and the APGO Women's Healthcare Education Office would like to thank the Retreat Partners—members of the APGO Corporate Liaison Council—who made generous educational grants to help support the APGO Women's Health Education Retreat 2000. Without their support and collaboration in planning the program, the retreat would not have been possible. •APGO Medical Education Foundation•3M Pharmaceuticals•Cook Ob/Gyn•Eli Lilly & Company•Knoll Pharmaceutical Company•Organon, Inc•Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc•Pfizer Women's Health•Procter & Gamble Company•Ross Products Division•Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc•Wyeth-Ayerst PharmaceuticalsWe would like to give special thanks and recognition to Johnson & Johnson for their generous educational grant in support of the Retreat 2000 outcomes, including the publication of this supplement issue. Corporate support for the Interdisciplinary Women's Health Education Retreat 2000 and the subsequent publication of the Women's Health Care Competencies for Medical Students did not come easily—precisely because of the small size of the medical education community and because the end product did not have a tangible or immediate return on investment. However, we witnessed senior industry representatives persuading the younger, more market-oriented representatives to “give and give more” to programs and projects like this one with collaborative opportunities to sustain educational missions that align with those of our corporate partners. “Industry supporting this endeavor,” stated Ernest Thompson, Director, Professional Affairs, Women's Health Care Franchise, Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, in soliciting support for the 2000 retreat, “is the right thing to do for the continued improvement of women's health care.” We witnessed both honor and altruism in our corporate support and were very pleased and continue to be privileged to work collaboratively with these industry professionals. The Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics (APGO) and the APGO Women's Healthcare Education Office would like to thank the Retreat Partners—members of the APGO Corporate Liaison Council—who made generous educational grants to help support the APGO Women's Health Education Retreat 2000. Without their support and collaboration in planning the program, the retreat would not have been possible. •APGO Medical Education Foundation•3M Pharmaceuticals•Cook Ob/Gyn•Eli Lilly & Company•Knoll Pharmaceutical Company•Organon, Inc•Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc•Pfizer Women's Health•Procter & Gamble Company•Ross Products Division•Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Inc•Wyeth-Ayerst Pharmaceuticals We would like to give special thanks and recognition to Johnson & Johnson for their generous educational grant in support of the Retreat 2000 outcomes, including the publication of this supplement issue.