UMass SNMA Chapter News & Events

The Student National Medical Association (SNMA) is the nation's oldest and largest student organization focusing on the interestes and concerns of students of color.

Established in 1964 by medical students from Howard University and Meharry Medical College along with members of the National Medical Association (NMA), the SNMA continues to advocate for a culturally-compotent medical education for medical students and culturally-sensitive services for underserved communities.

 
UMass at the 2013 Region VII Conference at UNECOM

Among our national initiatives are issues of access to health care, health inequalities, and diversity in higher education amongst many others.  SNMA is comprised of 10 national regions, each one of these regions organizes a regional conference that takes place at a school of medicine in the region.  The University of Massachusetts Medical School is in good company with Tufts University, Boston University, Harvard University, Dartmouth Medical School, the University of Vermont, the New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, Brown University and Yale University as a part of New England's Region VII.

In 2009 the SNMA Region VII Conference was held at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, in Worcester, MA, on November 14, 2009.  Over 80 students and professionals from the New England area gathered for a wide range of educational and networking events. The theme was Closing the Gaps: Emerging Models in Primary Care. The conference highlighted how progress and new developments in primary care are innovating health care delivery.  Download our conference program. 

Our chapter participates in community service initiatives such as The Mosaic Network, a community health outreach program designed to bring health discussions and health screenings to community members, and youth enrichment programs in education.

April 2014 marked the 50th Anniversary of the Annual Medical Education Conference (AMEC) with the theme of Fifty Years, One Mission: Diversifying the Face of Medicine". Medical students representing the University of Massachusetts Medical School attend workshops and lectures and participate as institution delegates to further the goals of SNMA and promote policy activation.

"What Can SNMA do for me?"
Dinner and discussion.
SNMA Advocates and past SNMA members visit UMass Chan students

SNMA Faculty Advisor:

Maria Garcia, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine              Maria.GarciaMD@umassmed.edu
and Family Medicine & Community Health
Assistant Dean of Student Affairs & Diversity

Career & Academic Advisors:

Jeroan Allison, MD, MS, Professor & Vice Chair, Quantitative Health Sciences;Associate Vice Provost for Health Disparities Research

Co Presidents:

Rebecca Ukaegbu
Nina Monestime

Treasurer:

Secretary:

MAPS Coordinators/ Community Liaisons:

Mirian Younge
Nogoy Bah

Webmaster:

Amy Cheung

Members at Large:

Maureen Ogamba
Ato Howard