Medical Students for Choice

What Medical Students for Choice does

Medical Students for Choice (MSFC) is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1993 that provides abortion and family planning education to medical students and residents worldwide. The organization was established in response to the limited inclusion of abortion training in standard medical curricula, initially by medical students including Jody Steinauer at UCSF, and has grown over three decades into a global grassroots network of more than 10,000 (and recently over 13,000) student-advocates organized across approximately 287 chapters in 29 countries. Its primary constituents are medical students and residents seeking clinical exposure to abortion and contraceptive care, along with reproductive health ally organizations that collaborate on educational programming.

MSFC's core programmatic portfolio comprises five product categories: (1) the Student Organizing Program and chapter-based grassroots network, supported by a Student Activism Fund of up to $150 per semester per chapter and Student Trust Accounts managed through MSFC headquarters; (2) abortion training programs including the Reproductive Health Externship (RHE, requiring a minimum two-week placement and 50 procedures observed), Clinical Abortion Observation (CAO, 3-9 days), and international externships through partnerships with British Pregnancy Advisory Services (BPAS) in the UK and Dynamic Doctors Uganda (DDU); (3) annual conferences and institutes, notably the Conference on Family Planning and the application-based Abortion Training Institutes; (4) educational resources including event planning guides, video libraries, curriculum reform toolkits, and a chapter leadership guide; and (5) residency application resources directing students to integrated training programs via Ryan Program and RHEDI. The organization is governed by a majority-student Board of Directors and maintains no proprietary technology platform, functioning instead through its distributed chapter model supported by digital communications infrastructure.

MSFC generates revenue entirely through charitable contributions rather than fees, with five documented donation streams: individual donations (tax-deductible via 501(c)(3) status), employer matching gifts (registered with Benevity), bequests and planned giving, memorial and tribute gifts, and gifts of appreciated stock. The organization does not charge for membership, programs, or chapters, and its go-to-market motion is community-led: student leaders recruit peers through campus activities fairs, social media, and peer networks, supported by regional student organizers and headquarters staff. Operating expense structure is lean, with 1-10 employees headquartered in Philadelphia serving a global program footprint that extends across North America, Europe, Africa, South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and Asia.

Name

Medical Students for Choice

Legal name

Medical Students for Choice

Website

https://msfc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Medical Students for Choice is a Philadelphia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1993 that provides abortion and family planning education to medical students and residents through a global chapter network spanning 29 countries and funded entirely by charitable donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Education / Reproductive Health Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Support Services (611710), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare & Clinical Professional Development (CME/CE) (EDAGANAJ)

Keywords

• Abortion education
• Medical student training
• Reproductive health advocacy
• Student chapter organizing
• Nonprofit health education

Headquarters

HQ city

Philadelphia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donors contribute to MSFC through online donations, mail-in donations, and phone donations. MSFC is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization, making donations tax-deductible for US donors.
2. Matching Gifts: Many employers offer matching gift programs for charitable contributions. MSFC is registered with Benevity for employer matching gift programs.
3. Bequests and Planned Giving: Donors can include MSFC in their estate plans through bequests, allowing for long-term sustainable support.
4. Memorial and Tribute Gifts: Donors can make gifts in honor of individuals or in memory of loved ones.
5. Stocks and Securities: Gifts of appreciated stock may offer tax benefits to donors while supporting MSFC's work.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels14 records

Core offering

Medical Students for Choice (MSFC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that delivers abortion and family planning education to medical students and residents through a grassroots chapter-based network of over 10,000 student-advocates across 287 chapters in 29 countries. Its core programs include the Student Organizing Program, Reproductive Health Externship, Clinical Abortion Observation, international externships at BPAS and Dynamic Doctors Uganda, the annual Conference on Family Planning, Abortion Training Institutes, an event resources library, a video library, a Chapter Leadership Guide, curriculum reform tools, and chapter funding through the Student Activism Fund and Student Trust Accounts.

Product overview

Medical Students for Choice (MSFC) is a nonprofit organization that functions as a membership network and educational platform rather than a commercial product company. The organization operates as a unified portfolio of programs centered on reproductive health education and abortion training. The core offerings include: Student Organizing (a grassroots chapter network with over 10,000 members across 287 chapters in 29 countries), Abortion Training programs (Reproductive Health Externship, Clinical Abortion Observation, and international partnerships with BPAS and DDU), Conferences and Institutes (annual Conference on Family Planning and Abortion Training Institutes), and Educational Resources (event guides, video library, curriculum reform tools, and chapter leadership materials). The Student Activism Fund and Student Trust Accounts provide financial infrastructure for chapters. The programs collectively work toward the mission of ensuring medical students receive education and training in abortion and family planning care.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Student Organizing Program Grassroots activism program that organizes medical students into chapters on medical school campuses worldwide; student leaders assess campus needs, organize events, fill curriculum gaps through educational programming, promote MSFC opportunities, and advocate for adding abortion and family planning to medical school curricula.
• Reproductive Health Externship (RHE) Funded clinical externship that gives medical students at least 2 weeks of exposure to abortion care at a partner clinic, requiring exposure to at least 50 abortion procedures.
• Clinical Abortion Observation (CAO) Short-term clinical observation program offering medical students 3-9 days in a clinical setting with exposure to abortion care, including host site connections and financial assistance for commuting costs.
• Reproductive Health Externship at BPAS One-week externship in partnership with British Pregnancy Advisory Services (BPAS) in the UK for medical students who have completed at least their first year; MSFC provides funding to offset participating costs.
• Reproductive Health Externship at DDU Two-week externship in partnership with Dynamic Doctors Uganda (DDU) at a regional hospital in Uganda, open to MSFC Chapter members enrolled in medical schools across Africa.
• Conference on Family Planning Annual flagship conference providing educational sessions, networking opportunities with alumni and members, and training for medical students on family planning and abortion care; MSFC's largest annual event.
• Abortion Training Institutes Application-based, intensive two-day educational program for medical students to learn about abortion from family planning experts in a small-group conference setting; accepted applicants receive full funding.
• Student Activism Fund Funding program that provides chapters up to $150 USD per semester to arrange abortion and family planning events; funds do not roll over and are accessed via reimbursement.
• Student Trust Accounts Chapter bank accounts managed by MSFC Headquarters for student fundraising; donations are tax-deductible for US donors and funds roll over year to year for event supplies, travel, and creative projects.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• British Pregnancy Advisory Services (BPAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSFC partners with BPAS in the UK to offer the Reproductive Health Externship at BPAS program. This is a one-week externship for medical students who have completed at least their first year. MSFC provides funding to offset the costs of participating in this international training experience.
• Dynamic Doctors Uganda (DDU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMSFC partners with Dynamic Doctors Uganda to provide a two-week externship program at a regional hospital in Uganda. This program is open to MSFC Chapter members enrolled in medical schools across Africa.
• Adolescent Sexual Health and Education ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an ally organization providing reproductive health education resources.
• Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an ally organization providing reproductive health education resources.
• Association of Reproductive Health ProfessionalsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an ally organization providing reproductive health education resources.
• Guttmacher InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an ally organization providing reproductive health education resources.
• Ibis Reproductive HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an ally organization providing reproductive health education resources.
• International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an ally organization providing reproductive health education resources. Also developed a free online medical abortion training course.
• IPASminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an ally organization providing abortion training resources.
• Marie Stopes InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an ally organization providing reproductive health education resources.
• National Abortion FederationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an ally organization providing abortion training resources.
• National LGBT Health Education CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an ally organization providing resources on LGBTQ patient care.
• Bixby Center for Global and Reproductive HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an ally organization providing abortion training resources.
• Midwest Access ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an ally organization providing abortion training resources.
• Reproductive Health Access ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an ally organization providing abortion training resources.
• Ryan ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaintains a comprehensive list of OB/Gyn residency programs integrating abortion training for residents.
• RHEDIminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaintains a comprehensive list of Family Medicine residency programs integrating abortion training.
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an ally organization providing advocacy and legal resources.
• Center for Reproductive RightsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an ally organization providing advocacy and legal resources.
• Physicians for Reproductive HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an ally organization providing advocacy and legal resources.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Center for Reproductive Rights: A global legal advocacy organization using litigation and policy to advance reproductive rights. It is an MSFC ally and shares the reproductive-justice umbrella mission but operates in legal/regulatory advocacy rather than medical education.
• Guttmacher Institute: A leading research and policy organization on reproductive health. It complements MSFC's mission by producing the evidence base MSFC uses in curriculum reform advocacy, but does not directly train medical students.
• ANSIRH (Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health): A UCSF-based research group producing evidence on abortion and contraception access. It is an MSFC ally and contributes to the research literature MSFC uses to argue for curriculum reform, but is not a direct training provider.

Broad incumbents

• National Abortion Federation: The professional association of abortion providers in North America. It overlaps directly with MSFC's mission by offering clinical training, continuing education, and provider support, but operates at the practicing-clinician level rather than the medical-student pipeline.
• International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF): A global reproductive-health service and advocacy federation active in 120+ countries. IPPF co-developed an online medical abortion training course with MSFC and shares the global reproductive-justice mission, though it operates service-delivery rather than medical-education programs.
• Planned Parenthood Federation of America: The largest US reproductive health provider and advocacy organization. While not focused on medical-student education specifically, it shares MSFC's reproductive-justice mission and is a key clinical training host for many MSFC externs and residents.

Direct peers

• RHEDI (Reproductive Health Education In Family Medicine): RHEDI integrates opt-out abortion training into Family Medicine residency programs. It is a direct comparable in MSFC's training mission but focused on Family Medicine rather than the medical-student and OB/Gyn pipeline MSFC primarily serves.
• Ryan Program: Based at the University of California San Francisco, the Ryan Program integrates abortion training into OB/Gyn residency programs. It is the closest direct peer in the abortion-training-for-trainees space and explicitly partnered with MSFC on residency-program listings.

Emerging players

• Physicians for Reproductive Health: A physician-led advocacy organization that trains doctors to be public spokespeople and clinical leaders in reproductive health. It overlaps with MSFC's physician-development mission at a later career stage (practicing physicians vs. trainees).
• If/When/How: Lawyering for Reproductive Justice: A network of lawyers and law students advancing reproductive justice, with an MSFC board member affiliated. It is comparable as a parallel trainee-led advocacy network but in the legal profession rather than medicine.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MSFC
• Facebookfacebook.com/MSFChoice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/medicalstudentsforchoice
• Instagraminstagram.com/msfchoice
• TikToktiktok.com/@msfchoice

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Medical Students for Choice