July 2018- Advocacy!
In May, the AAMC held the conference “Continuum Connections” in Orlando, Florida, which included medical students (Organization of Student Representatives), residents (Organization of Resident Representatives, and faculty/staff (Group on Student Affairs, Group on Resident Affairs). Many themes were prominent throughout this extended weekend conference, but one of the most relevant to medical students was “Student Advocacy”.
Making our voices heard on a local, state, and national level is extremely important as future providers, and oftentimes, can seem like a tall order when trying to survive the undercurrents in the lake known as medical school. The AAMC and other medical organizations try to make it easier to take part in advocacy. To learn more about what the AAMC is doing and how you can help, you can visit their website here . Another great resource to advocate at a national level is the AMA, with advocacy information here, including information on the Medical Student Section of AMA, an avenue to become more involved.
If you’d like to get involved at a more local level, the MMA is an excellent resource which we are all already members of through our medical school! Their website has great ways to get involved, including Day at the Capital and other tips on how you can have your voice heard!
December 2017 - AAMC Resources
Whether you’re looking forward to 2018 because it will mean you have almost survived your first year of medical school, maybe even almost survived the whole thing or dreading 2018 because of looming licensing exams and rotations, you are not alone! Medical students across the country are in the same boat as you. The AAMC knows this and has created a website specifically for medical students with resources for each stage of your journey.
These resources are usually lost in the overwhelming amount of emails and a sea of millions of resources that the internet allows us to continually have at our fingertips. So here is the breakdown of some of the things available and a link at the end of the page for those who want even more information.
- 10 Tips for Managing Your Money During Medical School
Be proactive about your spending during medical school. Know how much to borrow, when to, and what your options are. Download the 10 tips for more information and resources for creating a budget, checking your credit for free, and more information about options during residency.
- Ask the Experts: Finding and Working with a Mentor
Interview with two physicians who give advice on how to find a mentor, when you need a mentor, and what their role is in your medical education. Visit for more information on tips for working with a mentor.
- Licensing Exams
Information on each individual exam including cost, timing, resources, and registration.
More information on the above topics can be found at this link: https://students-residents.aamc.org/attending-medical-school/medical-school-survival-tips/
These are just some of the many resources provided on the AAMC website for medical students. For more information, you can visit www.aamc.org and start exploring.
Best of luck on your journey and remember you are not alone, Happy New Year!!
- Your AAMC OSRs
November 2017- Wellness!
The first weekend of November, two of your AAMC-OSRs had the privilege of traveling to Boston, Massachusetts for the annual Association of American Medical College’s Learn, Serve, Lead conference. While there, we were able to meet and discuss many pertinent topics related to medical education and the current medical climate with member school administrators, faculty, staff and fellow medical students. Of the many important issues that were discussed, there was one that especially stood out and relevant to medical students: WELLNESS. While we often times put this on the backburner spending what seems like endless hours studying and/or time on clerkships, it undoubtedly is an issue that isn’t just something we at the University of Minnesota seem to struggle with, but is quite common amongst our peers as well.
What are you doing for yourself to ensure that you’re not only successful academically, but also in the wellness category? There are many things we can do individually, and some of these things include socializing, healthy eating, exercise, and working to improve sleep hygiene (whatever sleep is!). A great resource for wellbeing and wellness here at the UMN is the Center for Spirituality and Healing. Here you can find ways to either start or continue your journey to being a healthier you! There are also numerous different exercise/activity classes which are offered through RecWell, the University recreation and wellness center.
Sometimes the stress of keeping on top of our studies can build and be a lot, and you aren’t alone if you’re feeling overwhelmed! We have a multitude of different mental health support services available. These include counseling, stress management, stress check-ins, and other really amazing tools to ensure we not only take care of our physical wellbeing, but our emotional and psychological wellbeing too!
As a reminder, our very own MedEd Well-Being Committee has been doing a fantastic job of working to get us more involved with our own wellness! Please continue to record your activities (which you can do here) for the Medical Student Well-Being Incentive Program and win some great prizes!
As we start to see less and less sun throughout these VERY cold winter months here in Minnesota, remember to keep your mind and body healthy!
- Your AAMC OSRs