April 29, 2016
Texas
Tech University Health Sciences Center-El Paso Paul L. Foster School of
Medicine has been named
the Texas Medical Association
Medical Student Section (TMA-MSS) chapter of the year. Physicians presented
the award today during TexMed, TMA’s annual conference, in Dallas.
The annual Chapter of the Year Award, which
began in 1998, recognizes the TMA-MSS chapter that excels in furthering the
medical student section’s goals and policies for a better Texas. The award
recognizes leadership, dedication, and service to TMA and the American Medical
Association (AMA).
Foster
School of Medicine students,
under the direction of the chapter’s executive board, started a student-run
community clinic, RotaCare Clinic, in 2014 to provide quality health care to
some of El Paso’s underserved and uninsured residents in the community of
Ysleta.
“The clinic
provides medical students an opportunity to develop as future physicians,” said
Jared Bell, immediate past president of the chapter. “We have become familiar
with electronic medical records, taking patient histories, and drawing labs, but,
most importantly, we are able to learn from the patients.”
Current chapter president Arezo Nasrazadani said
she was pleased to be part of the start-up of the RotaCare Clinic, which is funded
in part by the El Paso Community Foundation and the Rotary Club of El Paso. “It
has been such a joy to see our clinic grow from its inception and be able to
provide an ever-increasing number of services — which now include health care,
dental care, vaccinations, and even specialty care — to the deserving
population we serve.”
TMA also
recognized the young chapter, which was established in 2009, for its push to
increase its membership and its involvement in organized medicine. To do this, officers
scheduled regular meetings where students could discuss issues facing medicine,
future projects, and ways to further the goals of TMA and AMA. Students also connected
with local health leaders by attending meetings of the El Paso County Medical
Society.
The TMA-MSS
Executive Council, composed of medical student leaders, nominate chapters for
the award.
TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation,
representing more than 49,000 physician and medical student members. It is
located in Austin and has 110 component county medical societies around the
state. TMA’s key objective since 1853 is to improve the health of all Texans.
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Contact: Brent Annear (512) 370-1381;
cell: (512) 656-7320; email: brent.annear[at]texmed[dot]org
Marcus
Cooper (512) 370-1382; cell: (512) 650-5336; email: marcus.cooper[at]texmed[dot]org
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