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News from the AMA at UMMS
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April 2009 - This past March, hundreds of medical students from
across the nation met on Capitol Hill to fulfill their responsibility
to their chosen profession by advocating for better medicine. Amongst the crowd were three members
of the AMA chapter from the University of Michigan. During this brief visit to
Washington, DC, students met privately with members of congress to
discuss issues facing health care, and more specifically, medical
students. The areas of utmost
concern included medical student debt and the capping of residency
slots funded by Medicare. “These
issues are interlaced in how they affect primary care access. If policy is not implemented to
reduce tuition costs, restructure loan repayment, and increase funding
to residency programs, many students will be forced to choose a higher
paying specialty field. With the
increasing shortage of primary care physicians, it is crucial that
these problems be addressed both quickly and effectively,” commented
first-year student Brandon Wojcik.
This was the
first visit by University of Michigan students to Lobby Day in over
three years. Courtland
Keteyian, a current third-year medical student who has been actively
involved with AMA, shared his thoughts on the effectiveness of medical
student lobbying. “Medical
students, above all current healthcare providers, will be most affected
as we enter into clinical practice and serve this generation of
patients. Changes to improve
medicine happen not on the steps of the capitol, but in private
meetings with lawmakers and their respective staff members. Just as doctors and patients must
work together to achieve the best outcomes, so must politicians and
those who advocate. Participating in Lobby Day is the first step to
create these valuable relationships with lawmakers.”
Each of the
students agreed that they walked away from the experience feeling that
they contributed much more than they had anticipated. They hope their enthusiasm will
encourage participation from their colleagues in the years to
follow. As is often the case in
an organization as large as the AMA, the individual can easily forget
how important their personal contributions are. “Lobby Day was a great opportunity to
experience first-hand the power a medical student has within the AMA at
the policy-making level,” stated chapter president Erqi Liu. Events
like Lobby Day remind us that medical students are best heard when we
speak collectively, which requires participation by all those who have
a voice.
March
2009
- We would like to welcome Dr. Sandro Cinti as our new faculty mentor. Dr.
Cinti specializes in infectious diseases and is extensively involved in
preparation for potential attacks of bioterrorism. Additionally, Dr.
Cinti is currently the President of the Washtenaw County Medical
Society and is involved with numerous other Organizations. We are very
excited about his participation with our chapter.
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November 2008 - The
University of Michigan sent ten students to the Interim Conference in
sunny Orlando. Our delegation participated in a variety of ways,
including attending workshops, voting on resolutions, presenting a
resolution, presenting research, and participating in a
committee. We attended workshops on resolution writing,
chapter building, recruitment, minority and GBLT issues, and the
campaign against second hand smoke, which we will be bringing back to
our chapter. Many members of our delegation enjoyed
listening to the discussion surrounding the student resolutions and
giving input on how our delegate should vote. Three attendees presented
their research, and one, Patrick Forrest, presented his resolution on
the banning of trans fats at the AMA HOD, which was accepted after
minor revisions. Our UM Delegate, Nat Schuster, sat on the House
of Delegate Coordinating Committee, for which he wrote testimonies
representing the Medical Student Section’s positions regarding reports
and resolutions to be voted upon prior to the HOD and then helped to
present them before the reference committees and the HOD. Every
member of our delegation felt that the conference helped them learn
about how the AMA works and meet other members from across the
country. We look forward to bringing what we have learned back to
the UM Chapter and to attending future national conferences.
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Upcoming AMA Events
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Cover
the Uninsured Week
May 3-9
AMA-MSS
Annual Meeting
June 11-13 - Chicago
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Past AMA Events
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AMA Welcome BBQ
Mon. Aug 4th
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INFORMATIONAL
LUNCH
Fri. Aug. 22nd
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MSMS Capitol check up
Wed. Sept 13th, Lansing, MI
email Laura
Chromy
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Stem
Cell Research Talk/Dinner
Thur. Sep. 25th
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Dr.
Ron Davis - Health System Reform
Thur. Oct 16
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MSMS
Make A Difference Day
Sun. Oct 26th - In your neighborhood!
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MSMS
Leadership Conference
Sat. Oct 25th, Somerset Inn, Troy, MI
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Halloween
Food Drive
Sat. Oct 29th
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AMA-MSS
National Interim Meeting
Nov 6-8th, Orlando
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USMLE
Prep Talk
Wed. Nov. 12th
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AMA Initiatives
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National
Service Project - Covering the Uninsured
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Advocacy
Issues: healthcare access; medical student debt & education
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Public Health Links
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