Spotlight On: Student National Medical Association (SNMA)

As an osteopathic medical student, your schedule is hectic with classes, labs and studying. While it’s important to focus on your studies, it’s also important to get involved at your COM through on-campus clubs and activities. OMS Express was able to chat with Tyeese Gaines-Reid, chairperson of the Board of Directors for SNMA and a fourth year osteopathic medical student at Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Davie, Fla.

What is SNMA?

The Student National Medical Association is the nation's oldest and largest independent, student-run organization focused on the needs and concerns of medical students of color. Membership includes over 6,000 medical students, pre-medical students, residents and physicians. It was established in 1964 by medical students from Howard University School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. and Meharry Medical College in Tennessee. SNMA is dedicated both to ensuring culturally sensitive medical education and services, as well as increasing the number of underrepresented minorities entering and completing medical school.

How many members does it have?

Our most recent count was 6,275 members – including pre-medical, medical, physician and institutional members. The number of osteopathic members overall is growing. In 1998, there were 159; in 2000, 282; now in 2006, there are 517.

Do all colleges of osteopathic medicine have a chapter?

More than half of the osteopathic schools have SNMA chapters.

Why is it important for osteopathic medical students to join?

SNMA’s mission is to increase the number of underrepresented minorities entering and completing medical school SNMA is equally as supportive of osteopathic medical students and chapters. I am the second consecutive osteopathic medical student to serve as chairperson of the Board of Directors. Currently, six of our national officers are osteopathic medical students, or faculty at an osteopathic institution.

The more osteopathic students in leadership in SNMA, the more our colleagues will know about the field. There are also many opportunities for osteopathic students to mentor the pre-medical student members and recruit them into osteopathic medicine or to their particular institutions.

What are the benefits of SNMA membership?

Each person takes away different benefits from SNMA: there’s leadership opportunities; camaraderie; networking with colleagues and residency programs; academic opportunities; international mission trips; and community service, to name a few.

In addition, we offer textbook and travel discounts; a database of research opportunities; member-only scholarships and fellowships, as well as access to SNMA publications – such as the Journal of the SNMA, newsletters, and a clinical year guide.

Our Annual Medical Education Conference provides workshops like suturing; health policy lectures; leadership training; a residency fair and much more. This year’s theme is “Achieving Wellness: Building Bridges to the Future,” focusing on the wellness of health care professionals and how we can take care of ourselves so that we may provide for our patients. It will be held in San Francisco, April 4-8, 2007. You can visit the Web site this fall for registration materials.

Can anyone join?

Of course. We have members from the entire United States, various ethnic backgrounds and both allopathic and osteopathic schools. As long as the members agree with our mission, they are welcome.

Membership applications are available by calling (202) 882-2881 or visiting www.snma.org.

Are you a member of an organization that should be profiled in OMS Express? If so, please e-mail your request to Jewanna Carver at jcarver@osteopathic.org.