Student National Medical Association
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Formation | 1964 |
|---|---|
| Type | Student-governed Organization |
| Headquarters | Washington, DC |
| Location |  United States |
| Membership | Over 8,000 Medical students, Pre-medical students, Residents, and Physicians |
| Official languages | English |
| National President | Travelle Franklin Ford |
| Key people | Wallace Davenport II, JD, EdD |
| Website | [1] |
The Student National Medical Association (SNMA) is the nation's oldest and largest independent, student-run organization focused on the needs and concerns of medical students of color. It was established in 1964 by medical students from Howard University and Meharry Medical College. The organization is committed to supporting current and future underrepresented minority medical students, addressing the needs of underserved communities, and increasing the number of clinically excellent, culturally competent and socially conscious physicians. [2]
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[edit] Composition
SNMA has over 150 medical chapters, which implement educational, outreach, and mentoring activities consistent with the goals of the organization. Premedical MAPS chapters work with their host SNMA chapters to hold workshops, speakers, medical campus tours, and advising sessions. Chapters belong to one of ten SNMA regions, each headed by a Regional Director. The Regional Director supports chapter programs and oversees a regional medical education conference, as well as other regional activities. [3]
Traditionally SNMA has mostly been composed of African American Medical students. Because of this today there are also separate independent medical associations for other minorities (for example, South Asian Medical Student association).
[edit] 2008-2009 Program Focus
In Spring 2008, National President Green introduced the 2008-2009 programmatic strategy that is focused on three goals.
- Guiding Underrepresented Minority Students by establishing resources and specific programs targeted toward increasing their enrollment in medical schools.
- Engaging in Health Care Advocacy by strengthening SNMA's political involvement through actively advocating for the concerns of medical students the communities that they represent.
- Membership Empowerment by providing the membership with educational materials, networking opportunities, and exposure to better prepare them for medical school and residency.
[edit] AMEC
The SNMA Annual Medical Education Conference (AMEC) is a focal activity for the national organization. It is held each Spring in various locations around the country. Its purpose is to enhance and facilitate career development, continuing education, and networking among minority medical students. Included in the AMEC is the annual session of the House of Delegates and the election of national officers. The conference attracts students and professionals from across the country, and is consistently the largest gathering of underrepresented minority medical students in the US.[5]
The 2009 AMEC was held on April 8-12 in New Orleans, LA. The theme was Healthcare Advocacy: From Practice to Politics. This conference worked to cultivate model patient activists, while fulfilling the Student National Medical Association mission to support current and future underrepresented minority medical students. The national convention focused on five major components: academic success, patient advocacy, leadership development, research, and career development. The overall goal was to enable SNMA members to bring about a “continuity of healthcare” and transform them into pioneering physicians of tomorrow; leaders in patient healthcare advocacy .[6]
[edit] National Protocols
National protocols are implemented on the local level by individual SNMA chapters. They reflect the community service goals of the national organization.
Pipeline Programs:
- YSEP (Youth Science Enrichment Program)
This program is focused on working with elementary and junior high school students to spark their interest in science and health.
- HPREP (Health Professions Recruitment Exposure Program)
This initiative functions to increase the exposure of high school students to science and careers in the health sciences.
- MAPS (Minority Association of Pre-medical Students)
Pre-medical students are able to form SNMA MAPS chapters at their undergraduate institutions. There are currently over 100 MAPS chapters nationwide that are supported by local SNMA chapters.
Health Education and Prevention
- Sexual Health Awareness
- Smoking Prevention
- Tissue & Organ Donation Education Recruitment Program (TODER)
- Violence Prevention
- Mental Health: Treatment, Awareness, and Prevention
- Healthy People 2010 Health Fairs
- Obesity Prevention
