Dean's Cup 2015: University of Wisconsin Medical School

The idea for the Dean’s Cup started when several UW students (law and med) were visiting a friend in Miami, Florida during Spring Break in 1995. This friend was attending law school at the University of Miami, and told them about Miami’s “Dean’s Cup”–an annual fall athletic competition between the university’s law and medical schools. Tim Stewart (UW Law ’97) and Tim Richer (UW Med) discussed the possibility of starting an event like this at UW–only true to the spirit of the University of Wisconsin, they decided to add a charitable component.Students at both the schools were polled, committees were organized (athletic, promotions, charity selection, etc.), and the ten-day event was planned for the following fall semester. The charity selection committee chose to donate any proceeds to the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and the Dane County Rape Crisis Center.The students solicited private donations for fund raising, but to little avail. Thus, they turned to t-shirt sales to help raise money. The t-shirt sale remains an integral part of the competition, and provides students with a memento of that year’s competition. Faculty and alumni were also energized, and donations from the UW Law and Medical Alumni Associations allowed the schools to design and purchase the Dean’s Cup Trophy.With a lot of time and effort by the law and med student organizers, the first Dean’s Cup competition was successfully held in the fall semester of 1995, with about 50-60 students participating from each school. The competition lasted ten days, and the Med School prevailed easily. More importantly, though, the competition raised about $1,000 for charity, along with significant blood and food donations.Over the next several years, events were added, the length of the competition was extended to two weeks, and the rivalry has intensified. The Medical School won the first four years, but the Law School turned the tide and came back in 1999 to win their first Dean’s Cup. Although the Med School won the trophy back in 2000, it was the closest finish ever between the two schools, and the competitive spirit shows no signs of diminishing. Still, the Dean’s Cup remains true to its purpose: to foster goodwill and friendly competition between the schools and to emphasize the service aspect of our professions by giving something back to the community.  This year the law and med schools will be donating all proceeds to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Madison. So donate what you can. Show your school spirit! After all, it's for a great cause! You can find more information about the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Madison at:

http://www.rmhcmadison.org/