REPORT OF MEDICAL STUDENT SECTION
MSS Report 1-A-07
Subject: Medical Student Section Activities
Presented by:Robert Bour, Chair
Membership
The 2006 TMA recruitment season proved to be a success for the Medical Student Section as medical student membership reached an all-time high in the state. As of Feb. 6, 2007, student membership in the Texas Medical Association was 4,693, a 196-student increase over the same time period one year ago. The Executive Council credits these numbers to effective recruitment drives by the various section chapters and orientation week mixers with county medical societies.
Executive Council Initiatives
The 2006-07 Executive Council set several goals last year, one of which was to educate medical students on the current status of health care in the United States. Entering the medical profession, many students find themselves disturbed but passionately intrigued by the issues facing our medical system today. To address these concerns, TMA-MSS has established a collaborative, eight-part lecture series on Key Issues in Healthcare. Each medical school successfully developed a 45-minute module for the series, and each school is committed to presenting approximately half of these modules during lunch in the upcoming spring semester. The concept is based on a very successful program implemented at Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine last year. The first half of the curriculum is taken from a document written in part by James Rohack, MD, titled "The Ecology of Healthcare in Texas and the US."
To our knowledge, the concept of a collaborative lecture series across medical schools is new, so we are prepared for a steep learning curve as we attempt to implement this program. However, we believe this presents an ideal opportunity for schools and students to work together, exemplifying our AMA motto "Together we are stronger." Our hope is that the implementation phase will prove both the concept of collaborative development and the interest of medical students in the subject matter.
Advocacy
With the successful outcomes of the April 2005 First Tuesday, dedicated for students and residents, there was no doubt students would be eager to participate in the 2007 legislative session. Texas medical students will once again turn their attention to the issue of graduate medical education (GME) and the prospects of diminished funding for residency slots in the state. In 2005, more than 150 medical students traveled to Austin to participate in First Tuesdays. Two years, later we hope to increase those numbers and bombard the Texas capitol with the future of medicine's voice to increase GME funding.
Meetings
TMA Fall Summit 2006 brought more than 90 students, a record for the summit, to the MSS business meeting. The meeting also heralded the introduction of the "Massachusetts Health Care Reform Plan," which educated medical students about a current issue in health care and the Massachusetts plan to reform the present structure. The presentation was given by Jessica Nguyen-Trong, The University of Texas-Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, who served as 2005-06 health care congressional fellow to U.S. Rep. Michael C. Burgess, MD.
The Fall and Winter Conferences also featured education on social issues within Texas. At Fall Conference, Donnie McDonald, training specialist at Community Initiatives and Office of Eligibility Services of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, provided information concerning the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The presentation not only provided the MSS with an understanding of the CHIP program, but also included handouts and contact information on possible community service projects for the students. As a service project at Winter Conference, students prepared and donated more than 40 birthday cards to Austin State Hospital on behalf of the MSS.
TMA Winter Conference 2007 welcomed more than 100 medical students to Austin. Among other activities at the meeting, Rep. Patrick Rose spoke at the Legislative Task Force meeting, an honor for the students. TEXPAC sponsored a student reception where more than 60 students joined TEXPAC. A majority of these students participated in Leadership Training Sunday, Feb. 4, held at the TMA building, where chapter officers learned the ins and outs of the student section.
Awards
At TMA Winter Conference 2007, the Executive Council chose Texas A&M University System Health Science Center College of Medicine as Chapter of the Year and Chirag Patel, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Medical School, as Student of the Year. William Hinchey, MD, also was selected as recipient of the C. Frank Webber, MD, Award. These awards will be officially presented at the TMA House of Delegates at TexMed 2007.
New Executive Council
New Executive Council members were elected for 2007-08 at Winter Conference 2007: Brittney Culp (Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine), chair; Reid Orth (The University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio), vice chair; Nicole Schrock (Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, Fort Worth), reporter; Justin Jordan (UTHSC- Houston) and Brad Faglie (Texas A&M University System Health Sciences Center College of Medicine), TMA delegate co-leaders; and Srividya Bhadriraju (TTUHSC) and Vinh Nguyen (TTUHSC), AMA delegate co-leaders. The Executive Council chose Heidi Hullinger (Baylor College of Medicine) as AMA alternate delegate, Texas delegation; and Robert Bour (Texas A&M) as the special appointee to the TMA Board of Trustees. The AMA Region 3 leadership includes Colin Son (UTHSC-San Antonio), chair; Travis Bias (TCOM), delegate; and Heather Brandfellner (TCOM), alternate delegate.
TMA House of Delegates: TexMed 2007