Doctors Back to School Program

This past Saturday, the student AMA and SNMA chapters of SUNY Buffalo hosted its first Doctors Back to School Program (DBTS), which is an AMA initiative targeted to help increase the number of minority physicians in the US. As many of you know, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Native Americans comprise nearly 1/4 of the U.S. population. In 30 years, these groups are expected to make up 1/3 of the U.S. population. Surprisingly, only 7% of physicians and 6% of medical school faculty come from these groups. The goal of the DBTS is to help address this issue and encourage young minority students to pursue a career in medicine and make them realize that this is a profession that is attainable with much dedication, hard work and mentorship.

The event took place on a Saturday morning at UB's South Campus. 5 physicians consisting of a cardiologist, internist, family physician, pediatrician and obstetrician/gynecologist participated in the program's panel discussion. Of the 5 physicians, Dr. Kenneth Gayles was one of the first African American students to be accepted at SUNY Buffalo School of Medicine in the late 1960s. About 20 college students attended, and 5 medical students volunteered to assist in the event.

Overall, both the physicians and students enjoyed the event. The students thought that the program was helpful in meeting other physicians and medical students who have the same background as them. They also thought that the discussions and past experiences of the doctors and medical students helped encourage them to pursue their dream of becoming a physician.

Both the student AMA and SNMA chapters hope to host another similar event at the end of the spring semester next year targeted to minority high school students. If you are interested in helping out next semester, you can contact Vanessa Sarfoh, MS2 who is part of the AMA's Minority Issues Committee and also the lead organizer of the event, or Joanna Lim, MS2 one of the Co-Presidents of the AMA SUNY Buffalo Chapter.

For more photos from the event, please click HERE

Kids with Diabetes had fun in Halloween!

The AMA-MSS Buffalo chapter organized the annual Halloween Party for Children with Diabetes on October 28th, 2010 held at the University at Buffalo South Campus. Vice Presidents of Community Service Jessica Aliotta, Kiu Gladjar, and Brooke Meade, all second year medical students, took charge arranging the event. This is an important event for the children who might otherwise not enjoy Halloween given its focus on sugary candy.

Both the children and volunteer medical students were encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes. On this night, 25 children and their families were greeted by a princess, broccoli, an angel, superheroes, a cowboy, jesters, a dinosaur, a spider, and the myriad of other fun costumes worn by the 33 medical student volunteers.

AMA-MSS Buffalo chapter’s first year medical student representatives put together a number of Halloween activities for the children, despite having an exam the next day. First and second year volunteers ran these activities, which included karaoke, apple bobbing, pumpkin knock out, ghost bowling, pumpkin painting, Halloween melty beads, make your own festive mug or door hanger, coloring stations, pumpkin mouth toss, and Halloween Twister. Students and children worked together to wrap each other in toilet paper for a mummy wrapping contest. Especially popular was the piñata filled with sugar-free candy.

Prizes were given to the winners of contests, games, and a raffle. Every child that came to the party left with a raffle prize. These activities and prizes were made possible by donations amounting to $700.00 generously given by over twenty local stores as well as the Medical Society of Erie County. The spirit of the medical students and the support of the community helped make the Halloween Party for Children with Diabetes a haunting success.

For more photos, please click HERE.

Breast Cancer Walk a Success!

On October 3rd, the SUNY Buffalo AMA Chapter put together a team to walk and raise money for breast cancer research. Despite the rain, several first and second year students attended and walked the event. Thanks to our generous supporters, we were able to raise $550 from the event. Many thanks to Chantal Bartels, Kiu Ghadjar and Jess Aliotta for organizing the event.

Get out and VOTE on Nov 2nd!

U.S. midterm elections are here!

We wanted to take this opportunity to remind you that YOU have the privilege and the right as an American citizen to say and choose the candidates who best represent your values and principles. If you are registered to vote, please visit the Erie County Board of Elections website (http://elections.erie.gov/) to find your polling station and what you need to bring with you. If you are not registered to vote in Buffalo, but are registered in your home state/county, go to that website and request an absentee ballot.

Additionally, if you are unsure of who is running and need some guidance, the Medical State Society of New York has put together a scorecard of physician-related issues that are pertinent to New York State and where the candidates stand. Click on the link (MSSNY Candidates Score Card) to view the scorecard. The following sites are also helpful:

http://www.vote-ny.com/english/index.php
http://www.elections.state.ny.us/INDEX.html

As much as we may not like to admit it, these elected officials will wield a heavy hand in determining how medicine is practiced as we go forward. If health care reform survives in its current form, there are still many sections that have yet to be interpreted, which may potentially impact your future practice. Don't wait until you finish your residency to do something. Make your voice heard and VOTE on Tuesday, November 2nd!!!

Off to the polls!!

Students "Dash for Dad" 5K Race

On Sunday, September 19th, Community Service VP Jess Aliotta (MS2) organized a team of MS1 and MS2 students to run the 5K "Dash for Dad" race in downtown Buffalo! The race was organized by Cancer Care of Western New York, Main Urology Associates and Western New York Urology Associates to help raise awareness for prostate cancer and raise money for prostate cancer research. 15 medical students participated in the event. To top it off, 2 pairs of Sabres ticket were raffled off by Dr. Aliotta to 2 medical students participating in the event! Congratulations to Rob Taylor (MS2) who finished first in the AMA Medical School team and came in 3rd for his age group, and Jane Arcadi (MS2) and Lisa Linde (MS1) for winning the Sabres tickets!

Register for the Webinar on Health Reform!

On August 17th at 7 PM, AMA Immediate Past President J. James Rohack, MD, and AMA government relations advocacy fellow Nick Rohrhoff are giving an informative webinar about how the Affordable Care Act—the new health system reform law—affects future physicians.

Titled “The system we will inherit: What does the Affordable Care Act mean for tomorrow’s physicians?” this 60-minute program will explore health system reform from the perspective of America’s next generation of physicians. From traditional issues such as graduate medical education and the physician work force to emerging subjects like delivery reform, this program will cover material in the new law that matters to medical students and residents.

The webinar will address such questions as:
• How will health system reform affect my patients and my profession?
• Did the law deal directly with medical student issues?
• Is health system reform over?

Space is limited, so please register early at https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/schedule/display.do?udc=xtu6bjcm1lxz

2010 AMA-MSS Annual Research Symposium

Abstract Submission Deadline: 8/31/2010 @ 5PM

The AMA Medical Student Section (MSS) is accepting abstract submissions for the annual AMA-MSS and AMA Resident and Fellow Section (RFS) research symposium, which will take place Nov. 5 in San Diego in conjunction with the AMA-MSS and AMA-RFS interim assembly meetings.

In order to participate, you must be a current medical student member of the AMA.

Abstracts may be submitted in one of eight categories: Cancer biology, clinical/epidemiology/health care, radiology/imaging, surgery/biomedical engineering, neuroscience/neurobiology, immunology/infectious disease/inflammation, organ systems or biochemistry/cell biology.

Prizes will be awarded to one winner in each category, with an overall poster winner and overall oral presentation winner receiving a trip to the 2011 AMA-MSS Annual Assembly Meeting in Chicago.

Visit www.ama-assn.org/go/poster for submission requirements, abstract criteria and other details.

2010 AMA-MSS Annual Meeting in Chicago

More than 700 medical students attended this year’s AMA Medical Student Section (MSS) Annual Assembly Meeting, which took place June 10–12.
The assembly considered more than 35 items of business, and the section held more than 25 educational programs covering such topics as medicine and the media, surviving and thriving in medical school and residency, and the benefits of advanced degrees. Dr. Nancy Nielsen presented two educational programs: Making Your Voice Heard: Parliamentary Procedures, and the Healer's Art. From SUNY Buffalo SOM, 6 medical students attended the event, 4 of whom are on the e-board.

SUNY Buffalo SOM also participated in the AMA-MSS's first annual Community Service Symposium where medical schools present one or two community service projects that have benefited their communities. The Buffalo chapter showcased two community service projects: Halloween with Kids with Diabetes and Sprouts. Due to the presentation and originality of Sprouts (presented by Angela Sandell - MS2), SUNY Buffalo SOM won the AMA-MSS Community Service Symposium!

At the AMA House of Delegates (HOD) meeting, a resolution written by Dan Donovan (MS3) and Angela Sandell (MS2) about "Decreasing the Incidence of Obesity by Reducing the Price Disparity Between Healthy and Unhealthy Foods" was accepted as AMA-Policy. Every year, medical students across the country submit resolutions (or ideas) to the AMA in hope that their idea will be adopted as AMA policy. Getting a resolution passed and adopted by the AMA HOD is not easy and requires a series of steps and approvals by other groups/organizations, including the AMA Medical Student Section (AMA-MSS), the Medical Society of the State of New York (MSSNY), and finally the AMA House of Delegates. Once the AMA adopts a resolution as policy, the AMA (as an organization) fully supports the idea and will actively press for political action of reducing the price difference between healthy and unhealthy foods in Washington DC. Below is a local press coverage of the story by Dr. Peter Ostrow.



To learn more about how to write a resolution, and how to be more involved in these meetings, please view the "Policy and Advocacy" link of our website, or contact one of the e-board members via email.

Congratulations to our riders!

This past Saturday, 23 UB medical students joined more than 200 young physicians-in-training from across New England and New York in the second annual “Miles for Healthier Lifestyles” bicycle relay sponsored by the American Medical Association - Medical Student Section (AMA-MSS).



Members of the local AMA-MSS chapter at the University at Buffalo organized and cycled a 20-mile bike route from Tonawanda, NY to Niagara Falls, NY to raise awareness for wellness, prevention, nutrition and exercise through healthy life steps and raise money for Sprouts, a nutrition and wellness group at the medical school.

All 23 riders completed the 20-mile bike ride, and 15 of the 23 riders completed the full 40-mile loop from Tonawanda, NY to Niagara Falls, NY and back, putting in a total of 760 miles for the day! In addition, all riders wrote and wore an inspirational quote about health and wellness on their back as a way to promote living a healthier lifestyle to the community.

5 enthusiastic volunteers also assisted the day of the event, providing food, water and support to the cyclists. It was indeed a beautiful day for a bike ride, and everyone who participated thoroughly enjoyed the event!

We are also excited to announce that the local AMA-MSS Buffalo Chapter has raised over $500 for Sprouts, and we still have a month left to go! We would like to thank our generous donors for contributing to and believing in the vision of Sprouts, which is to encourage medical students to eat well and be an example to their patients. In the past couple of weeks, Sprouts recently gained the support of the Dean of Medicine, Dr. Michael Cain, as well as President Simpson's Chief of Staff, Scott Nostaja, to begin a garden in North Campus.

Perhaps the most important lesson that we learned from this experience is the value of teamwork, working together (with each other and with other organizations) to reach a common goal and make that goal a reality. Again, we thank you for your support! If you wish to donate money to Sprouts, please visit our fundraising site below. We are raising money until the end of May/June 2010.

http://www.supportourgroup.com/ZF1670

To view local media coverage of the event, please visit:
News Channel 4
SMBS Website

Raising money for Sprouts!

On Saturday, April 24th, 23 riders from the AMA-MSS Buffalo chapter will cycle 20 miles from Tonawanda, NY, to Niagara Falls, NY to help raise awareness for wellness, prevention, nutrition and exercise through healthy life steps. They will join more than 200 young physicians-in-training from across New England and New York, participating in the second annual Miles for Healthier Lifestyles bicycle relay.

In conjuction with the bike relay, the local AMA-MSS chapter at the University at Buffalo is raising money to benefit Sprouts, a nutrition and wellness group at the medical school that plans to start a vegetable garden at the medical school for the students. The decision to fundraise for Sprouts stemmed from our belief that having a vegetable garden in our school would not only benefit current students, but also future students of the school. We thought that it would be a good investment, and we hope that you would too.

If you wish to help us reach our goal of raising $1,000 by the end of June, please visit our fundraising site below. Any amount that you can contribute is helpful and much appreciated!

http://www.supportourgroup.com/ZF1670

The local AMA-MSS chapter at the University at Buffalo will host the ride on Saturday, April 24th, 2010:

Relay Start Time: 10:30 a.m.
Relay Start Location: Nia-wanda Park, Parking Lot (across from Dick’s Bicycle Shop, 781 Niagara St, Tonawanda, NY)

We thank you for your support!