Medical Students Bake up Funds for Orbis Canada

The fundraiser was organized by Michael Mina and Audrey Feng-Emond from the Groupe d'intérêt en ophtalmologie de l'Université de Montréal (GIOPUM). Mina is the group’s President and Feng-Emond is Vice President. The pair are also members of the Orbis Future Vision Leaders, a community designed specifically for Canadian medical students and ophthalmology residents who are passionate about eye health and supporting Orbis in the fight to end avoidable blindness globally.

After learning about Orbis’s work from one of their professors, the GIOPUM members thought this would be a great opportunity to raise awareness and funds for a charity so well aligned with their interests and goals.

So, on May 26, the group organized a bake sale fundraiser and promoted the event throughout the university’s student community. In total, the event raised more than $250 to support an Orbis project which is providing sight-saving cataract surgeries for Rohingya refugees living in Cox’s Bazar district, Bangladesh.

GIOPUM has long been interested in supporting those who need vision care in their community and beyond.

These activities, she explains, help to raise awareness within the student community about areas where they can get involved in helping others while also learning about global health projects they might find valuable.

While Feng-Emond has not yet determined if she would like to pursue an ophthalmology residency after medical school, Mina is very interested in the field. Both have also developed a keen interest in volunteering their time and sharing their skills and expertise in low-resource communities around the globe, regardless or what area of medicine they ultimately pursue.