May 18, 2018
Programs
to help the community, near 100-percent recruitment, and outstanding advocacy
participation all made the medical student chapter at The University of Texas
Medical Branch at Galveston stand
out this past year. That is why medical student leaders statewide named it 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 San
Antonio.
The annual Chapter of the Year Award, which TMA 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.
The UTMB
chapter had a nearly perfect record (98 percent) of recruiting first-year
students to become TMA members. UTMB also bused more than 100 students to First
Tuesdays at the Capitol in
2017 to meet with state legislators to discuss how proposed legislation will
affect patient care in Texas.
“The UTMB TMA
chapter has grown significantly by promoting interest in the chapter and by
getting involved in the community,” said Faith Mason, immediate past president
of the group. “Chapter leaders were engaged, and many members took on projects
to make our chapter flourish.”
The student
group hosted two community projects, said Ms. Mason. The chapter provided flu
shots to Galveston residents in conjunction with the UTMB Family Medicine
Interest Group and St. Vincent’s Student Clinic. And students gave bicycle
helmets to local children, with support from the John P. McGovern Academy
of Oslerian Medicine.
The chapter
also submitted three successful resolutions for consideration by TMA’s House of
Delegates, the organization’s policymaking body. The 500 delegates either adopted
the proposal to become new TMA policy, or used the students’ ideas to foster
changes in existing policy.
The TMA-MSS
Executive Council, composed of medical student leaders, nominates chapters for
the award.
TMA is the largest state medical society in the nation,
representing more than 51,000 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.
-- 30 --
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
Click here to follow TMA on Twitter. Or visit TMA on Facebook.
Check
out MeAndMyDoctor.com for interesting and
timely news on health care issues and policy.