Medical students and the American Medical Association

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Medical students and the American Medical
Association
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Todays AMA

• Together we are stronger
• The AMA helps doctors help patients by uniting
  physicians nationwide to work on the most
  important professional and public health issues.
• Together we will play an active role in shaping
  the future of medicine.

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The medical student role in the AMA

• Why is it important for students to have
  representation in a national physicians
  organization?
• The AMA is a powerful advocacy organization on
  Capitol Hill and a leading authority in medical
  education, health policy and medical ethics
• Through the AMA, students get a seat at the table
  on every major policymaking body
• Includes the governing bodies for the Match and
  licensing exam boards
• By establishing AMA policy, students help direct
  attention and resources on our issues and
  concerns
• The uninsured, medical school debt relief, public
  health

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The medical student role in the AMA

• The AMA-MSS represents the student voice in the
  places where real decisions are madeat national,
  state and local levels (e.g., government,
  accreditation bodies, grassroots, etc.)
• No other student group has as much leverage over
  the entire health care system
• You can make a real differencelocally, statewide
  or nationally!
• Heres how

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Student advocacy

• Expand coverage for the uninsured
• Reasonable resident work hours and conditions
• Medical school loan debt relief
• Protect Medicare reimbursement and funding
• Public health/healthy lifestyles
• Patient safety
• Medical liability reform

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Student involvement

• AMA-MSS chapter participation
• AMA-MSS Annual and Interim Meetings
• Policymaking
• Poster Symposium (Interim)
• Educational sessions
• National community service activities
• National Service Project
• Cover the Uninsured Week
• Lobby Day
• Leadership opportunities
• Councils
• Committees
• Internships
• AMA Member Connect Surveys
• AMA Member Connect Roundtables

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Chapter activities

• ltRecruiter Input relevant chapter activities
  heregt
• Involvement grants up to 1,000 available per
  school year from the AMA to help support chapter
  activities (e.g., recruiting activities,
  community service events, etc.)

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AMA-MSS National Service Project

• Every two years, the AMA-MSS chooses a new
  National Service Project (NSP) around which
  community service activities are focused.
• Healthy Lifestyles to Reduce Obesity was the
  NSP for 2004-06. Students across the country had
  an effect on the health of the nation by bringing
  the campaign to households, schools, hospitals
  and clinics.
• For its 20062008 NSP, the AMA-MSS chose
  Covering the Uninsured and Protecting Access to
  Care.

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Cover the Uninsured Week

• First week in May (but events can be held
  throughout the year!)
• Nationwide effort to call attention to the nearly
  45 million uninsured Americans
• Sponsored by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and
  the AMA
• Grants from the AMA available to any chapter that
  wants to hold an event

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Lobby Day

• Event held annually in Washington, D.C., in
  conjunction with the AMA National Advocacy
  Conference
• A unique opportunity for medical students,
  residents and fellows to participate in the
  political process
• The days events include sessions on effective
  lobbying and advocacy techniques, legislative
  briefings and a full afternoon on Capitol Hill
  meeting with legislators and their staffs

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Student leadership

• Many opportunities to participate
• Time commitment ranges from one-time projects to
  yearlong roles
• Several different areas of focus service,
  advocacy, policymaking, chapter involvement
• Three basic divisions
• Local (chapter/state)
• Regional (seven AMA-MSS regions)
• National

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Local leadership opportunities

• Chapter governing council
• Chair/president
• Vice chair/co-president
• Other (depending on chapter)
• Secretary/treasurer
• Community service liaison
• MSSOP recruiter (important!)
• Legislative liaison
• AMPAC liaison

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Regional leadership opportunities

• Regional governing council (GC)
• Chair/vice chair
• Disseminates info to states/chapters
• Informs GC about region activities
• Regional delegates
• Represent region in AMA House of Delegates
• One delegate and alternate per 2,000 members
  (roughly three per region)

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National leadership opportunities

• Convention committees
• AMA councils (seven different panels)
• External liaisons (LCME, NBME, NRMP)
• AMA-MSS Governing Council (elected)
• AMA Board of Trustees (elected)
• AMA Special Groups (i.e., GLBT, minority and
  women physician issues)
• Discovery Health internship
• Government Relations Advocacy Fellow (GRAF)
• Government Relations Internship Program (GRIP)
• Many other positions!

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Communication resources

• The Journal of the American Medical Association
  (JAMA)
• Archives specialty journals
• American Medical News (AMNews)
• AMA Morning Rounds, a weekday e-briefing of
  important medical news and studies
• AMA Voice
• AMA eVoice
• AMA-MSS listservs

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Why join the AMA

• Only organization that represents all physicians
  and medical students on a national level.
• The AMAs stance on important issues is
  determined by its members.
• Your membership helps to ensure that students
  have a voice in Washington.
• Through member seats and involvement, the AMAs
  voice is heard on student-oriented committees and
  councils, as well as the AMAs own political
  action committeewhich is one of the top on
  Capitol Hill.

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Tangible benefits

• Free online access to JAMA, Archives specialty
  journals and AMNews
• Free print subscription to JAMA, discounted print
  subscriptions to Archives
• Free Stedmans Medical Dictionary or dissection
  kit with four-year membership
• FREIDA Online
• Loan consolidation program
• Discounts
• AMA books and products
• Medical supplies
• Hertz Rent A Car (rents to AMA members under age
  of 25)
• And much more!

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Discounted multiyear memberships

• One-year membership 20
• Two-year membership 38
• Three-year membership 54
• Four-year membership 68
• Bonus giftJoin for four years and receive your
  choice of a Stedmans Medical Dictionary or a
  dissection kit!

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Join the AMA today!

• www.ama-assn.org
• Or contact the AMA-MSS for more information
• www.ama-assn.org/go/mss

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