|
|
|
GIA 2008 Excellence Winner
|
Elaine Schmidt, senior media relations officer, UCLA.
|
Shoestring Award – Public Relations
University of California, Los Angeles, Health Sciences Media Relations
"How One Medical Student Catapulted UCLA into the World News"
When University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), medical student Kellie Lim was eight, bacterial meningitis forced doctors to amputate her legs, right forearm, and three of her remaining fingers, yet she never surrendered her dream of becoming a doctor. The media relations office at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine pitched Kellie to the news media as someone who exemplified UCLA's forté: a commitment to creating personal partnerships with students on their journeys to becoming physicians.
Goals
- Enhance the school of medicine's appeal to the best applicants by
publicizing what makes UCLA unique.
- Highlight the school of medicine's niche as a progressive and dynamic institution that (1) welcomes diversity in its student body, (2) takes a personal interest in its students, and (3) partners with them as they learn how to become caring physicians.
- Put a human face on the school of medicine to increase public
awareness, attract the best students, preserve good donor relations,
and boost school morale.
Results
- An in-depth Los Angeles Times profile on Kellie Lim quoted Dr. Neil Parker, senior associate dean of student affairs, who described how he'd partnered with Kellie to adapt medical equipment and identify creative ways to compensate for her missing hand. The article credited UCLA for recognizing her potential as a doctor and presenting her with its highest award in pediatrics.
- Other media results included a feature on Kellie in People magazine, interviews on CNN's "Larry King Live" and "Prime News," and
numerous interviews with (her hometown) Detroit newspapers and every Los Angeles television news station. Kellie has been flooded
with lucrative speaking invitations, book and photo essay offers, and interview requests from all over the world.
- The UCLA administration was thrilled with the coverage. It is
premature to gauge the media's effect on admissions. However, the admissions counselor shared anecdotes from prospective students
who had read about Kellie. UCLA's willingness to accommodate her physical challenges impressed them. The counselor is convinced that next year's application essays will reflect the attention brought to UCLA by Kellie's story.
Read the full narrative (Word document)
Contact: Elaine Schmidt, eschmidt@mednet.ucla.edu
Back to GIA 2008 Awards for Excellence Winners
|
