American Medical Student Association: An Opportunity for International Medical Students to Shape the Future of Medicine and Impact Global Health
Andrew Branagan and colleagues explain all that AMSA is doing to help make the world a better place. And you don’t even have to be an American medical student to get involved
When you first hear about the American Medical Student Association (AMSA), you may imagine a small society limited to American students. On the contrary, AMSA is the largest and oldest independent organization of physicians in training with roughly 70,000 members, including students from all around the world. (1) In fact, there are over 40 medical school chapters outside of the USA with over 4,000 international members. In this article, we discuss AMSA’s international membership and highlight some of the many contributions that international members have made to global health through novel and creative initiatives.
For 58 years AMSA has been advocating the improvement of medical training and the art of medicine. (2) AMSA’s mission consists of a commitment to advancing the field of medicine and delivering health care to all people. Additionally, this mission emphasizes students’ exposure to the ethical and moral obligations of medicine and strives to tackle world health problems. AMSA is self-governed by students and provides countless leadership opportunities for members to take an active role in shaping current and future policy.
International AMSA Opportunities and Benefits
AMSA membership comes with a host of benefits and opportunities for international medical students. Students may participate in action committees which focus on a wide variety of health topics outside of traditional medical school curricula, such as community and public health, humanistic medicine, health policy, global health, women’s health, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender health. Additionally, students can join interest groups with other students who are concerned with a particular topic, such as death and dying, mental health, or naturopathic medicine. Throughout the year attend leadership training institutes and take part in the annual AMSA national convention.
Leadership institutes are weekend retreats focused on specific health care topics, including global health, HIV/AIDS, health policy and environmental health. These unique experiences allow students to immerse themselves in a particular topic, working closely with other students and experts in various fields. Students are given the opportunity to develop important skills such as lobbying, health promotion, and activism. The retreats provide students with the motivation and training to become leaders in international health.
Part of AMSA’s leadership development also includes a yearly Chapter Officers Conference where chapter officers meet in Washington D.C. to discuss programming for the coming year as well as to learn about leadership, student organization, and fundraising. AMSA has invested in this conference to support its chapters and develop a sense of community among student leaders.
Included in AMSA membership is a subscription The New Physician and Global Pulse, two student-run publications that concentrate on the pertinent issues facing the medical community. The New Physician, AMSA’s award-winning magazine, discusses relevant ethical, social, and political issues in medical education and health care, whereas Global Pulse, AMSA’s international health newsletter, focuses on such important issues as health and poverty, HIV/AIDS, and natural disaster relief.
At the annual convention, students participate in numerous activities designed to enrich their medical education and help to shape the future of AMSA. Convention programs include dozens of workshops and trainings, a research poster session, a residency fair, and much more. International medical students meet together at the convention, where they may discuss their specific needs and interests. In addition, the national convention is the time to run for leadership positions within AMSA. Just this past year, full-member privileges were extended to international members. Now medical students from any country in the world not only enjoy the many benefits of AMSA membership, but they can also hold any national leadership position.
Apart from the many opportunities for international AMSA members mentioned above, local medical school chapters have the freedom to design their own activities and projects throughout the year. Because chapter members are able to work together all year, they are able to design quite remarkable and imaginative projects. Chapters are even eligible for AMSA’s financial support in funding these initiatives through a local project grant program.
International AMSA Student Projects
International AMSA members routinely design projects with their local chapters, often addressing health disparities or specific needs of their communities. But as medical students, can they actually make a difference in global health? Most germane to this question would be finding out exactly what international AMSA members have done. Below, the students who helped to initiate projects in their communities describe their own unique experiences:
“Last year our AMSA chapter held its first Blood Pressure Day in conjunction with the Irish Heart Foundation (IHF). Our goal was to provide the public with blood pressure screenings and raise awareness about the importance of maintaining a healthy blood pressure to prevent heart disease. Thirty-seven volunteers from our second year medical class took blood pressure readings, provided literature on lifestyle advice, and offered fruit donated by a local grocery store to illustrate healthy eating. Over five hundred people came to have their blood pressures taken. Although donations were not solicited, the public contributed over €600 Euros to the IHF. Our AMSA chapter is eager to expand and continue this public health service as an annual event.“ Lisa Torres - Royal College of Surgeons Ireland
“Is the physician obligated to be an activist for social justice? This was the theme of a workshop in Israel which examined some of the internal and external pressures placed upon the native Bedouin communities. The workshop included an overnight experience in an unrecognized Bedouin village called Bir Hadaj in an isolated area of the Negev desert. The atmosphere for this seminar was critical, as discussing issues of justice and human rights inside a comfortable university classroom does not provide the same perspective. Speakers included representatives from Physicians for Human Rights - Israel and Bedouin community activists. Student discussions included broader issues of social justice in medicine such as defining health, the notion of an apolitical physician, the possible existence of “institutional racism” in medicine, and the concept of ’structural violence.’” Matthew Cantor- Medical School for International Health, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Collaboration with Columbia University Medical Center
“We hosted a “Teddy Bear Clinic” inviting children from all over Grand Cayman to bring their Teddy Bear or favorite stuffed animal into a mock “clinic” for a check up. The Teddy Bear “patients” and children were greeted by AMSA members who helped the child make up a chief complaint. The medical students then did mock physical exams and treatment simulations, explaining each step of the exam and piece of medical equipment. The children who participated had the opportunity to learn more about a trip to the doctor’s office. The parents and children thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and the children came away feeling that a visit to the doctor is nothing to be afraid of.” Paul Spechler- St. Matthew’s University
“We always try to be resourceful in finding ways to help out those people who need it most. Recently, we became concerned upon hearing about a coconut vendor, H.P., who regularly greets the students on their way to class, had been diagnosed with prostate cancer. H.P., like many Dominicans, earns just a few dollars a day. Using AMSA T-shirts, the members held a special drive to save his life, raising enough money for the coconut-vendor’s chemotherapy. Our AMSA chapter’s activities such as this have been featured on national television, including our donation drives for a local school as well as a government agency, which provides free medication to the needy. Hopefully, we can continue to excite more and more students about helping out their community.” Stephen Kuperberg - Ross University
“A few students from our AMSA chapter read a story that touched our hearts. A young girl was raped and forced to have an unsafe and complicated abortion. Having come from a war torn country where there are many untold stories similar to hers, we felt compelled to bring awareness to other students regarding conflict and its relation to reproductive health. Our AMSA chapter subsequently designed a seminar entitled “Conflict and Global Health: Impact on Health Care”. We focused on the need for awareness and activism in our community’s reproductive health education. Additionally, we discussed the impact that conflict has on medicine, and concluded with an open-ended discussion. Our seminar was well received by students and faculty alike, and a global health subcommittee was subsequently initiated. We are excited to continue to invest great efforts in activities related to global health awareness. ” Surejini Tharmaradinam and Surabiga Nadarajah- All Saint’s University School of Medicine
“We first met Tirisa, a 10-year old orphan girl, during our weekly volunteer work tutoring at an interim housing facility in Antigua. Upon learning that Tirisa had a congenital eye condition that would eventually cause her to go blind and the local doctors were unable to help, we were determined to intervene. With the assistance of faculty, and donations from the Antiguin and other communities, our AMSA chapter raised over $4500 USD to fly Tirisa and her guardian to Jamaica to undergo corrective eye surgery which restored her vision. Thanks to everyone who cared enough to help, Tirisa has since recovered from surgery with a whole new outlook on life. ” Mara Weinstein - American University of Antigua
“A combination of poor economy, lack of education and a dearth in medication makes it challenging to provide substantial healthcare in nations like Grenada and St. Vincent. Therefore our AMSA chapter in liaison with the Ministry of Health established annual health fairs across the Island to assist in reaching out to people in rural areas with minimal health care access. We hold up to eight community health fairs annually, which teach students professionalism and offer preventive healthcare. We screen for diabetes, hypertension, sickle cell disease, breast cancer, and HIV. A workshop before the fairs provides cultural sensitivity training to students. We tailor educational pamphlets based on language and culture to better educate local people about their health. Each health fair experience allows us to learn more about the needs of the patients and identify how to better meet these needs.” Lalanthica Yogendran and Megan Maraynes- St. Georges University School of Medicine
These anecdotes represent a small fraction of the regular accomplishments of international AMSA members, who are determined to make a difference. At first glance, it seems difficult to imagine how these small, grassroots efforts will affect global health. Taken together, the thousands of medical students around the world are making an enormous impact either directly or by opening other people’s eyes to global health concerns (3).
Conclusion
When you join AMSA’s international community, you will unite with tens of thousands of future doctors who share similar interests. AMSA provides students with an outlet to engage in activism and discuss health issues with other students from around the world who share their passion and vision. In sharing ideas and coordinating efforts among AMSA members, students may focus more energy in addressing even the most significant global health problems, such as improving health and reducing mortality in the developing world.
If we begin with strong international relationships as medical students, we will be better able to develop effective partnerships as physicians. Aljosja Rogiers, a medical student in Belgium currently trying to initiate an international AMSA chapter, argues that “The foundation of a common goal in medical education and healthcare lies in uniting medical students across the continents.” As medical students, we are the future of medicine; now is the time to develop common goals addressing the major issues of global health (3). Ultimately, all of our contributions to global health, from research to providing access to medicine to protecting human rights, can improve exponentially through international collaboration!
If you are interested in more information regarding AMSA, opening an international medical school chapter, or joining as an international member please visit http://www.amsa.org/ and www.amsa.org/intl.
Andrew R Branagan*1, Shaun E. Gruenbaum1, Lalanthica Yogendran2, Megan Maraynes2, Lisa Torres3, Katayoun Younlotfi3, Sarah D. Sicher1, Jonathan Mendelsohn1, Surejini Tharmaradinam4, Surabiga Nadarajah4, Matthew Cantor1, Mara Weinstein5, Paul A. Spechler6, Sravani Mudumbi7, Stephen Kuperberg8, Aljosja Rogiers9 and Michael Ehlert10
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Medical School for International Health in Collaboration with Columbia University Medical Center, Beer Sheva, Israel1; St. George’s University School of Medicine, Grenada2; Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland3; All Saints University School of Medicine, Commonwealth of Dominica4; American University of Antigua College of Medicine, Antigua5; St. Matthews University School of Medicine, Grand Cayman British West Indies6; Universidad Iberoamericana, Dominican Republic7; Ross University School of Medicine, Dominica, West Indies8; University of Leuven, Belgium9; Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio, USA10
(1) American Medical Student Association. http://amsa.org/about/
(2) Kapklein MJ (1993) The AMA-MSS and AMSA: diversification, not division. JAMA 270 (21): 2614-5
(3) Palmer BA, Wong A, Singla M (2005) Hearing the voice of medical students worldwide. PLoS Med 2 (4): e99