Does MUN help pay for conference trips?

Maybe a current MUN student can answer my question...

I was accepted at MUN this year, and if I choose to go there, I was wondering whether there might be a chance that the school would help me pay the fees to attend a conference in Toronto given by the Geneva Centre for Autism in October 2006 (note: my decision as to whether to attend MUN or not has nothing to do with this!).

The conference does relate to my research interests in autism (I have a couple of pending publications in the area). If I can justify its relevance, say, to a future or current elective I'm doing, do you think they would help me pay for the $350 conference fee? Or is it stretching it too much to ask for funding help so early in my first year of med studies? More generally, how often do med students get to take advantage of opportunities like this and get funding help?

Just wondering...

Don't have any first-hand experience but I'll check with some class mates and keep you posted.

cc

Thanks cc!

Hey oliver sacks,

I too do work in the field of autism, where are you at?

Hey cedar,

I'm living in Wolfville now, taking a year off, but I completed an M.A. in Philosophy at U of T and studied some neuroscience at Dal in 2004. I had planned to do an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Philosophy, Psychology and Neuroscience in the States, but then caught the medicine bug.

It's perhaps misleading to describe my "field" as autism. I wrote a paper while at U of T on autism and philosophy of mind (especially theory of mind issues), and it was accepted for publication in the journal Philosophical Psychology (based at UC San Diego) along with my reply to a commentary made by some other researchers on my paper. I became interested in autism because my younger brother and two first cousins are autistic - definitely some genetic factors in my family! I would love to do some work in the genetics of autism while at med school if I get a chance. I've read a fair bit about autism and find the many theories about it quite fascinating. The Geneva Centre symposium in October has a whole slew of great researchers lined up, like Simon Baron-Cohen and even Temple Grandin.

So what do you do in autism (psychology/neuroscience focus)? Are you going to MUN now?

Hi Oliver Sacks,

I work in the autism centre at the IWK for Dr Susan Bryson who holds the Craig Chair in Autism Research and I graduated from Dal last year in Neuroscience so I guess we probably took some classes together. I do all kinds of things here at the centre from research studies with children withautism to clinical work. I love it! I never took classes at MUN I just saw you post and was interested!

oh and if you are accepted to DAL for med (not sure if you applied/interviwed or are even interested in dal) but if so you should contact Dr Bryson about research in autism as she is the expert here at the IWK hospital and DAL. She is also fantastic to work with!

Cedar,

Yes, I've heard and read about Dr. Bryson - never met her though. I'm waiting to hear from Dal (I'm an N.B. resident, so it might be a bit slower). I will definitely get in contact with Bryson if I get into Dal and decide to go there. Have you heard from them yet (assuming you've applied)?

Hey Oliver Sacks,

Yes I have heard from Dal and have been accepted I was lucky to be one of the students who found out in feb. I also have interviews at Ottawa and Toronto. Well Susan is great and would be happy to talk to you about research if you go to DAL.

Good luck!

Hey Oliver Sacks,

Sorry it's late, but I said I would find out some info for you

I chatted with a couple of folks in my class that have taken conference trips this year, and each said they did get some funding, one person more than the other. Apparantly it is looked at on a case-by-case basis, and funding may be granted depending on the nature / purpose of the conference, as well as any possibility of bringing back useful information to share with your classmates. Hope this helps,

cc