Students lined the sidewalks of the NEOMED Education and Wellness (NEW) Center outdoor patio on a recent evening to check out more than 70 student organizations on view at the annual student organizations fair. Following a candy trail from one table to another, students got a taste of the variety available to them in existing and new groups.
Here’s a look at four: the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA), American Sign Language Club (ASLC), Rural Medicine Interest Group (RMIG) and Academia and Teaching in Pharmacy (ATP).
- AMWA is a national organization that seeks to empower and support women in the medical field. Members can participate in the Summer Opportunities Symposium, where underclassman can learn how to make the most of their summers and older members present their research; Women in Whitecoats Dinner, a networking opportunity with female physicians and surgeons in the area; and Girls Go Med Mentoring, where COM students mentor high school females interested in medicine.
- ALSC, a new club, seeks to raise awareness, acknowledgement and respect for deaf culture by facilitating better communication between deaf individuals and health-care professionals. One event is a dinner at which all attendees must speak in sign language, helping the hearing to gain an understanding of what is like to speak only with your hands.
- RMIG is a new interprofessional organization that provides opportunities for both medicine and pharmacy students to address rural health problems by working in the surrounding communities. Students interested in joining this group can attend workshops such as 25 Ways to Use Your Stethoscope, which provides students with the tools needed to work with rural residents. An orientation and free lunch will be held on Sept. 26 at noon to provide more details on the organization and leadership opportunities available.
- ATP is an organization through the College of Pharmacy that strives to develop and educate students on advancing pharmacy education, research, scholarship and practice to improve community health. Members of this organization have the opportunity to attend Lunch and Learn sessions with NEOMED faculty members as speakers, to learn about the different pathways into teaching.
More new organizations this year include: Students for Sight (SFS), College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists (CPNP), Medical Students for Choice (MSFC), Scientista, Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR), Nephrology and Endocrinology Interest Group (NEIG), Pediatric Surgery Interest Group (PedSIG) and Sports Medicine Interest Group (SMIG).
For more information about student organizations, including how to join, go to neomed.checkimhere.com.