Mission and Goals
"Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better." -Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Student National Medical Association (SNMA) is the oldest and largest medical student organization with more than thousands of members nationwide. We are dedicated 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.
Community Service
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
-Margaret Mead
TBD
Mentorship
“Don’t walk behind me, I may not lead.
Don’t walk in front of me, I may not follow.
Just walk beside me and be my friend.”
-Albert Camus
Locally in Iowa City, SNMA works with the University of Iowa's Minority Association of Pre-Health Students (MAPS). We have worked with them to set up suture clinics, speed mentoring, CBL sessions, and personal statement workshops. The mentoring program for undergraduates focuses on success in college and careers in healthcare. Undergraduate students will be paired up with a minority medical student. The pairing process will respect similar backgrounds and interests. The primary objective of the program is to provide students with the network of support needed to succeed in the university and beyond. Casual one on one interaction will be available, as well as opportunities for involvement in extracurricular activities.
Information for Current SNMA Members
Our chapter organizes panels about different specialties and mentorship for medical students at Carver. The mentoring program for minority medical students includes the development, facilitation, support and nourishment of mentoring relationships between students and minority residents, fellows, faculty, and administration. The pairing process will take specialty areas into account. This program will also consist of casual one on one interactions with mentors to provide career planning advice and occasional group events involving all mentor-mentee pairs. Mentors will work with the mentees to improve the overall retention of minority medical students and to provide guidance on how to maintain a successful balance of personal and professional demands as a physician.
Each year, the Annual Medical Education Conference (AMEC) attracts students from all levels of medical education and is consistently the largest gathering of underrepresented minority medical students in the nation. With a slate of workshops and programs focused on the academic and clinical success, development, and preparedness of our cohort of physicians-in-training, AMEC will not only prepare premed and medical students in their journey to become socially competent and clinically excellent physicians but will also provide a unique opportunity to network with students and physicians from all over the country. AMEC 2024 was held in New Orleans, Louisiana from March 27 - March 31, and addressed topics on leadership in healthcare, health policy, health disparities, and activism in underserved communities. In 2025, it will be held April 15 - 20 in Saint Louis, Missouri. Stay tuned for more information!
Officers
- Co-Presidents: Sebastian Gomez and Karl Wilson
- Secretary: Susan Anil
- Treasurer: Jason Chen
- Community Outreach Liaison: Paisley Bryant