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Student Groups
Using the links below, find out about current groups at HMS, how to create a new student group,
and some information on how student groups run. Find your interests and get involved!
Student Group List (2006-2007)
Medical Societies
American Medical Association (AMA)/Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS)
Swetlana Lobachova - swetlana_lobachova [at] hms.harvard.edu
Yi Li - yi_li [at] hms.harvard.edu
The American Medical Association (AMA) and Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS) are dedicated to improving health and health care through research, education, and advocacy. As leading voices in health care, the AMA and MMS work closely with governments and public health organizations to ensure that the shared interests of physicians and patients are promoted and protected. Additionally, the medical student sections of the AMA and MMS represent medical students, improve medical education and promote leadership. Members have the opportunity to attend regional and national meetings with other medical students, residents, and physicians and play an important role in shaping health policy at the state and national levels. In addition, students who join the AMA/MMS for the duration of their medical training receive four-year subscriptions to NEJM and JAMA.
American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA)
Gillian Sowden - gillian_sowden [at] hms.harvard.edu
Elaina Lord - elaina_lord [at] hms.harvard.edu
Noelle Layer - noelle_layer [at] hms.harvard.edu
The American Medical Women's Association (AMWA) is an organization of 10,000 women physicians and medical students dedicated to two main goals: Meeting the challenges specific to women physicians, residents, and medical students and addressing the needs of female patients. AMWA has dedicated its lobbying and educational efforts to a wide range of issues, including universal health coverage, smoking prevention and cessation, violence against women, breast cancer, cardiovascular disease, and reproductive health. In particular, AMWA has pursued ways to improve financing mechanisms for medical students and has pushed continuously for gender equity in medical education. Our chapter of AMWA is one of the most active student groups at HMS, with year-round activities designed to foster relationships with female physician mentors and to promote salient issues in women's health. Please join us at our introductory dinner during the LIFE events in September to hear more about our organization and how you can get involved. We welcome all interested students.
Dental Groups
American Student Dental Association (ASDA)
Darshan Naidu - dnaidu [at] hsdm.harvard.edu
The American Student Dental Association (ASDA) is a national, student-run organization, which protects and advances the rights, interest, and welfare of students pursuing a dental career. ASDA represents students with a unified voice and provides information, education, advocacy, and services. The association introduces lifelong involvement in organized dentistry and promotes change for the betterment of the profession.
HSDM Student Council
Evan Rubensteen
Carrie Baldwin
The purpose of Student Council of Harvard School of Dental Medicine is to meet the educational, research and social needs of students at Harvard School of Dental Medicine and Harvard Medical School. It is the largest dental organization on campus with an annual membership of at least 70 students, which includes both the first and second year dental students. The Student Council strives to sponsor and support all events that enrich the life of dental students at Harvard. These activities include organizing volunteering and community service projects, bringing the faculty and the students together to learn about opportunities in dentistry, sponsoring students to attend research and professional conferences, and bringing the medical and dental students together to learn about each other’s ethnic, religious and cultural backgrounds. Although the group focuses primarily on addressing the concerns of the dental community, its events are always open to medical students as Harvard's philosophy states that dentistry is a subspecialty of medicine.
Student National Dental Association
J'Nelle Leslie
Dyani Jones
Oscar Peguero
The Harvard Chapter of the Student National Dental Association (SNDA) works to encourage minority students to consider careers in dentistry. SNDA attends various talks given by the leaders in the field of public health dentistry to create a network between SNDA members and leaders in the field of public health and dentistry. Throughout the year we participate in a variety of mentoring programs. For instance we collaborate with the SNMA to mentor undergraduate pre-dental/medical students who are part of the Minority Association of Pre-medical Students (MAPS). We also participate in the Biomedical Science Careers Program (BSCP). In addition to the mentoring programs we participate in numerous volunteering activities throughout the year. These activities include the SNMA health fair in which we distribute oral health care products and educate people on oral hygiene. This year we participated in Operation Mouth Guard in which mouth guards were made for children involved in athletics. Our future plans include outreach at undergraduate institutions in which we educate people on the option of becoming an oral health care provider and guide them in making their plans to pursue careers in oral health. We would also like to expand this program to include high school students at the area YMCA. We plan to continue our community service activities and would like to play a more active role in the admissions process at HSDM.
Medical Interest Groups
Dermatology Interest Group
Haley Naik
Amsalu Dabela
The goal of the HMS Dermatology Interest Group is to help students of all stages explore dermatology as a career path. In accordance with this goal, we hope to increase students' awareness of the remarkable breadth of this field, the variety of practice settings available, and the various career directions that can be taken. In addition, critical aims include helping students identify mentors as well as equipping students with the information needed to navigate the Match process. Finally, the DIG is interested in organizing community outreach events where students have an opportunity to develop community awareness of skin diseases and provide skin cancer screenings.
Emergency Medicine Interest Group (EMIG)
Laura Chiang - laura_chiang [at] hms.harvard.edu
Benjamin Tolchin - benjamin_tolchinSmith [at] hms.harvard.edu
The HMS Emergency Medicine Interest Group (EMIG) aims to introduce students to emergency medicine in order to stimulate interest in this relatively new and exciting field. EMIG arranges activities such as skills workshops, shadowing experiences, and informational talks. Our perpetually popular activities include an intubation and airway workshop, a discussion about residencies, and a panel on career opportunities in emergency medicine. EMIG provides students with varied opportunities to explore their interests in emergency medicine by introducing students to different areas of emergency medicine, such as pediatric emergency medicine, international emergency medicine, and research.
HMS Entrepreneurial Society (HMSES)
Eric Makhni
HMSES aims to educate graduate students in the medical and health sciences about the process of innovation and entrepreneurship. With the help of both professionals and academics, the group will conduct regular seminars which will aid in its teachings of entrepreneurship. These seminars will cover several different aspects of entrepreneurship, ranging from conception and establishment of an idea and venture, intellectual property, obtaining funding, relevant aspects of business law, strategies for business growth, and also any other pertinent issues relating to entrepreneurship in the health sciences.
Internal Medicine Interest Group
Ian Barbash - ian_barbash [at] hms.harvard.edu
Andrew Synn - andrew_synn [at] hms.harvard.edu
The Internal Medicine Interest Group is dedicated to raising awareness and interest in internal medicine and its subspecialty fields. Through the efforts of the IMIG, students will be able to attend discussion panels with a variety of internal medicine practitioners. In coordination with other local IMIGs and the Massachusetts Chapter of the American College of Physicians, students will have access to regional and national resources. Our goal will be to help students understand options for careers in internal medicine, as well as current clinical and policy challenges in the field. The group coordinates shadowing opportunities with local physicians in a variety of settings so that students can get meaningful experiences and mentorship from practicing physicians before their clerkships. Through the ACP, students will be able to attend regional and national conferences, where they will be able to work with practicing physicians to address issues important to the fields of internal medicine and primary care, as well as issues particularly relevant to medical students.
International Relations & Biomedicine Circle
Daniel Blumenthal - daniel_blumenthal [at] hms.harvard.edu
Eric Twerdahl - eric_twerdahl [at] hms.harvard.edu
Harpal Sandhu - harpal_sandhu [at] hms.harvard.edu
The mission of the International Relations & Biomedicine Circle is to serve as a forum for exploring issues at the intersection of world politics and biomedicine. This group has three aims:
* To explore political, economic, and historical issues that presently influence healthcare delivery in a number of regions around the world, including China, India, and Africa.
* To facilitate increased discussion of specific political and historical themes that are directly relevant to healthcare delivery.
* To provide a forum through which students and professionals interested in the intersection between international relations and biomedicine can discuss mutual interests and ways to positively impact the growing field of global health.
ImproveHealthCare (IHC)
Chitra Akileswaran - chitra.a [at] gmail.com
Lior Braunstein - lior.braunstein [at] gmail.com
Craig Szela - CSzela [at] gmail.com
Peter "Rocky" Samuel - peter_samuel [at] hms.harvard.edu
ImproveHealthCare (IHC) works to develop a case-based curriculum for teaching health policy issues to medical students, residents, and physicians nationwide. By raising awareness and understanding, we hope physicians can become advocates for change in many of the issues that affect them and their patients. Students in the group develop cases illustrating issues in health care quality, access, and disparities, through the narrative of a clinical encounter, and with the overview of a faculty co-author or consultant. In addition to writing new cases, the group will be working on incorporating and evaluating the cases as teaching tools in courses, and will help organize the Tosteson Lecture Series in Health Policy at HMS. Topics covered in the cases include the Medicare drug benefit, surgical errors and quality of care, and racial disparities in cardiovascular care. Ultimately, we hope our website (www.improvehealthcare.org) will serve as a clearinghouse for health policy teaching resources, including cases, video, and external reports, for medical professionals everywhere. The project is supported by the Department of Health Care Policy at HMS and The Commonwealth Fund.
John Warren Surgical Society (JWSS)
Milena Andzelm - andzelm [at] gmail.com
Kenny Gundle - kenneth_gundle [at] hms.harvard.edu
Rameez Qudsi - rameez_qudsi [at] hms.harvard.edu
Cameron Sadegh - cameron_sadegh [at] hms.harvard.edu
Tust Techasith - tust_techasith [at] hms.harvard.edu
The Surgical Interest Group is an organization dedicated to supporting HMS students' interests in careers in surgery. Our role is vital since the HMS pre-clinical curriculum has very few surgery-related opportunities for enrichment and exploration. We are here to fill the gap, and to begin a tradition of more senior surgeons providing guidance to those of us in our pre-clinical years.
The Surgical Interest Group currently offers four types of activities: (1) The seminar series features local prominent surgeons speaking about the practice of surgery and its subspecialties and surgery as a career. (2) The skills workshops introduce key abilities that any surgeon must master, such as suturing and knot tying. (3) The surgical skills lab sessions at the Beth Israel allows students to experience laparoscopic surgery simulation and view real-time surgeries through video conferencing. (4) Finally, the shadowing program links students with attending and resident surgeons throughout the Harvard-affiliated hospitals so that they may observe procedures in the operating room and interact with various surgical specialists in a one-on-one setting. For more information, check out our external website, or our internal website on MyCourses.
More to Life than Genes (MTLTG)
Kim Kallianos - kim_kallianos [at] hms.harvard.edu
Jessica Kim - jessica_kim [at] hms.harvard.edu
Emily Roumm - emily_roumm [at] hms.harvard.edu
Michael Wagner - michael_wagner [at] hms.harvard.edu
The More to Life than Genes Seminar Series is a luncheon series that bring students and patients with genetic disabilities together to meet and interact. The series was designed to encourage intimate patient and family contact in a comfortable environment, much better than the classroom setting alone can provide. The series previously coincided with the first-year New Pathway course “Genes, Development and Reproductive Biology,” complementing the medical and scientific aspects of the course by putting a human face to some of the disorders that were covered; the 2006-2007 series will correspond to the new first-year New Pathway course on Genetics. Each luncheon promotes cultural sensitivity and positive professional development, and has changed many students’ preconceptions about living with disabilities. Last year’s guests included patients with Congenital Deafness, Dwarfism, Williams Syndrome, and Sickle Cell Disease.
OB/GYN Interest Group
Camille Powe - camille_powe [at] hms.harvard.edu
The Harvard Medical School Obstetrics and Gynecology Interest Group is dedicated to educating the HMS community about the clinical and research issues related to OB/GYN and women's health, and to generate awareness and interest in the field of Obstetrics and Gynecology. These goals are fulfilled by educational events, as well as faculty mentorship of students.
Oncology Interest Group (OIG)
Jessica Kim - jessica_kim [at] hms.harvard.edu
Julia Carnevale - julia_carnevale [at] hms.harvard.edu
Ada Gropper - adrienne_gropper [at] hms.harvard.edu
The Oncology Interest Group (OIG) is dedicated to providing opportunities for students to gain greater exposure to the scientific, clinical, and personal aspects of oncology. Through a network of physician-mentors and shadowing opportunities, we aim to help students explore their interests in various subspecialties of oncology, such as surgical oncology, orthopedic oncology, medical oncology, hematology/oncology, radiation oncology, pediatric oncology, psychosocial oncology, and gynecologic oncology. We organize a seminar series featuring prominent faculty who discuss topics in cancer research and caring for patients with cancer, as well as ways of bridging these fields. Other subjects of talks include career decisions, clinical trials, the influence of the pharmaceutical industry, ethics, and dying. We also provide information about the resources available inside and outside Harvard Medical School for students to learn more about current medical practices and the latest discoveries in cancer research, such as talks at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, local tumor board meetings, and conferences. Finally, we organize group activities, such as breast cancer walks. Through these programs, we hope that students gain greater understanding of cancer and how oncology is practiced today, and the trends that are shaping the ways we will treat cancer patients in the future.
Ophthalmology Interest Club
Corinna Zygourakis - corinna_zygourakis [at] hms.harvard.edu"
Ron Hu - rhu [at] hms.harvard.edu
The Ophthalmology Interest Club (OPTIC) is committed to increasing educational opportunities and clinical exposure to the field of ophthalmology. Through discussions of current research topics, mentorship, and shadowing opportunities, we hope expose students to the various subspecialties of ophthalmology, including anterior segment/cataract, retinal, corneal, glaucoma, neuro-ophthalmology, occuloplastics, and uveitis. The group will explore the clerkships, residency and career paths of current ophthalmologists and offer advice for the up-and-coming ones. OPTIC will also provide interactive opportunities through the year such as surgical visits and rounds at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary.
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Douglas Rhee, MEEI
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Interest Group
Ty Loveless
Jonathan Fillmore
The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Interest Group is a student-run organization that aims to promote interest in oral surgery as a career. Through organized talks given by prominent faculty, students may learn about various opportunities and challenges in OMFS and about ongoing clinical and basic science research in this specialty. Students also learn about the role of the oral surgeon in relation to other medical and dental specialists, subspecialties of oral surgery, and current issues in OMFS. The group also works to connect students to faculty mentors and provide shadowing opportunities at the Harvard teaching hospitals, thereby encouraging a personal connection between oral surgeons and dental students. Through these programs, this group hopes that students will gain a greater understanding of and excitement about OMFS.
Orthopedic Surgery Interest Group
Shawn Anthony
Orrin Franko
Eric Makhni
OSIG is a student group dedicated to supporting all HMS students interested in exploring the field of orthopedic surgery. The mission of this group is to expose HMS students to the different aspects of orthopedic surgery, ranging from general orthopedics, to sports medicine, spine, trauma, among others. Open forums and informational sessions with orthopedic faculty and residents will expose the students to the daily work of orthopedic surgeons, from private practice to hospital-based. Interactive sessions include watching procedures and “hands-on” learning of skills such as a suture lab. The group will also work with students needing help finding an orthopedics mentor.
Palliative Care Interest Group
Laura Chiang - Laura_Chiang [at] hms.harvard.edu
Devarati Mitra - devarati [at] gmail.com
Emily Jerszyk - Emily_Jerszyk [at] hms.harvard.edu
The Palliative Care Interest Group works to raise awareness and advocacy about the field of palliative care and its role in providing comprehensive medical care in a variety of patient situations. We provide resources and promote conversation about the complicated physical and psychosocial aspects of patient care when the patient is faced with a life-threatening illness. This may or may not include terminal illness. We also address topics of pain management, provider mental health in the face of death and poor outcomes, and caring for those with unique needs unmet by other specialties. We host an annual book club to facilitate discussions around Palliative Care and promote student-faculty interactions and relationships.
Pediatrics Interest Group (PIG) [formerly Pediatrics Organization Of Harvard (POOH)]
Eric Zwermer - Eric_Zwemer [at] hms.harvard.edu
Emily Whitesel - Emily_Whitesel [at] hms.harvard.edu
The PIG is interested in helping HMS students learn about careers in pediatric specialties and issues surrounding child health. We also serve as a source of information for pediatric opportunities, sponsor lunch talks about relevant issues and maintain contacts with professional pediatric societies including the American Academy of Pediatrics. Our Pediatric Mentoring Program matches students up with physicians practicing in the pediatric specialty of the student’s choice for a unique, one-on-one mentoring program.
Primary Care and Family Medicine Interest Group
Shireen Cama
Elizabeth Kwo
Sara Mixter
Jane Serene
The Primary Care and Family Medicine Interest Group serves as a vehicle to explore the exceptionally rich culture of primary care at HMS, in the Boston community, and beyond. Our purpose is to promote interest in primary care and family medicine here at HMS by introducing students to the diversity of primary care careers; sponsoring events and workshops that address aspects of patient care, counseling and clinical skills that receive little attention in our regular curriculum, (e.g. cultural competency, sexual health and substance abuse); and connecting students with primary care and family medicine resources at HMS and in Boston. We coordinate Primary Care Week and a flu immunization clinic in the fall. We also organize a series of lunches throughout the year with primary care faculty at HMS and the greater Boston community to explore relevant issues in primary care and family medicine. Feel free to contact us over the summer if you are interested in helping or participating!
Psychiatry Interest Group
Gillian Sowden - gillian_sowden [at] hms.harvard.edu
Renee Witlen - renee_witlen [at] hms.harvard.edu
The Psychiatry Special Interest Group is intended to unite both students and faculty who share a common interest in psychiatry. The group sponsors social meetings where students can meet psychiatrists and learn about the field as well as talks on current issues in psychiatry that are pertinent to all fields of medicine.
Radiology Interest Group
Anand Patel
The HMS Radiology Interest Group aims to provide students with a greater knowledge and experience in the field of radiology through clinical correspondence, research, and other scholarly pursuit. The group aims to provide student talks about radiology as a career, opportunities to shadow and do clinical preceptorships in radiology, opportunities to work in radiology research, and talks about clinical and technological advances in radiology.
Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Interest Group
Shawn Anthony
Antonio Perez
Advances in stem cell science and regenerative medicine offer unprecedented therapeutic potential for the treatment of disabling diseases ranging from diabetes, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, among many others. With the vision of bringing together students, clinicians, and researchers from across the Harvard community, the Harvard Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Interest Group will host lectures and lunch talks by leaders in stem cell research and regenerative medicine as well as offer discussion forums on bioethics and policy issues.
Student Interest Group in Neurology (SIGN)
Miya Bernson - miya_bernson [at] hms.harvard.edu
Kevin Ju - kevin_ju [at] hms.harvard.edu
Devarati Mitra - devarati_mitra [at] hms.harvard.edu
This group is dedicated to gaining exposure to the field of neurology by interview-based case presentations of unique patients by celebrated neurologists. The meetings are held approximately once monthly at various locations to provide an introduction to the various Neurology departments in the Harvard system. This group is an excellent way to gain an understanding of the clinical and social issues of neurology by small group discussions. The group is sponsored by the American Academy of Neurology.
Student National Medical Association (SNMA)
Venis Wilder - venis.wilder [at] gmail.com
Julia Tatum - jntatum [at] gmail.com
Brian Clair - brian_clair [at] hms.harvard.edu
SNMA is the oldest and largest medical student organization dedicated to people of color and underserved communities. Among our top priorities is a desire to help eliminate disparities in health care delivery, disease morbidity, and disease mortality. To this end, community service is the corner stone of SNMA´s agenda. Through our YSEP, GALS, HPREP, and MAPS programs, SNMA members work with youths from elementary school to college, thereby strengthening the educational pipeline that leads from elementary school to medical school. In addition to these programs, we have an annual health fair in the Dorchester community wherein we screen for hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, and other problems to try to identify them earlier rather than later. Through our work, SNMA seeks to increase the number of culturally competent and sensitive physicians in medicine in addition to advocating for healthful living and preventative health care measures. In addition to the aforementioned activities, SNMA also serves as a support group for its members and hosts numerous social events.
Student Teaching Corps (STC)
Shalini Lal - shalini_lal [at] hms.harvard.edu
Jessica Kim - kim.jessica.j [at] gmail.com
Laura Chiang - laura_chiang [at] hms.harvard.edu
Ian Barbash - ian_barbash [at] hms.harvard.edu
Dr. Laurie Raymond - laurie_raymond [at] hms.harvard.edu
Purpose: The Student Teaching Corps (STC) is a group of medical students who are interested in learning and participating in the development and implementation of medical education. It brings together the various experiential educational components offered at HMS into one organizational structure providing opportunities to teach, interact with faculty, engage in curricular reform and participate in formal forums regarding medical education. Projects: STC will serve as an umbrella organization for the implementation of 5 major projects. Its two primary activities will involve the continual development, organization, and implementation of the student-led 1st year academic review curriculum (Y2TA) as well as the establishment of a central database for searching and contacting HMS faculty mentors. As part of the 1st year academic review curriculum, STC is forming an Academic Packet to help orient first-year students to their courses and to the resources available to them at HMS. STC will seek to increase student involvement in curriculum reform and development, both globally and in individual courses, through collaboration with the members of the Academy. The group also will provide informal and formal tutoring for 1st year medical students. Finally, STC will organize lunchtime discussion meetings focusing on current issues in medical education.
Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM)
Cyrus Yamin - cyamin [at] gmail.com
Craig Szela - CSzela [at] gmail.com
The Universities Allied for Essential Medicines (UAEM) is a university-wide (HMS, HSPH, law, business, undergrad) organization seeking (1) To determine how universities can help ensure that biomedical end products, such as drugs, are made more accessible in poor countries (2) To increase the amount of research conducted on neglected diseases, or those diseases predominantly affecting people who are too poor to constitute a market attractive to private-sector
R&D investment. Everyone is welcome to attend organizing/brainstorming meetings. See http://www.essentialmedicine.org/ for more history and background on the organization.
Cultural and Religious Interest Groups
Asian American Health Association (AAHA)
Mark Lee - mark_lee2 [at] hms.harvard.edu
Sae Takada - sae_takada [at] hms.harvard.edu
AAHA is a multifaceted organization that aims to foster a sense of community among Asian American & Pacific Islander medical and dental students at HMS. We work to promote education and awareness of Asian American health concerns through speaker series and events on campus and in the Boston community. We also provide a discussion forum for health, social, and political issues that influence the professional and personal development of Asian American medical and dental students. AAHA serves a collective voice for Asian American students on campus, and we also work to ensure the continuing development and awareness of diversity at HMS. We support the belief that multiculturalism is fundamental to our development as competent physicians and dentists. It is our hope that the learning experiences that AAHA offers will improve and enrich the lives of both Asian and non-Asian American students alike.
Black Health Organization (BHO)
Kristina Mirabeau-Beale - kristina_mirabeau-beale [at] hms.harvard.edu
The Black Health Organization (BHO) is committed to addressing the health issues that are significant and/or disproportionately prevalent among persons of African American descent. Our intention is to include and serve the entire HMS community by providing information and initiating profound discourse relating to issues that highlight intersections of health, economics, research, culture, public policy, sexuality, gender, and race. This organization is also dedicated to the health, well-being, and professional development of African American medical students.
CaribHEALTH
Lianne Morris-Smith - lianne_morris-smith [at] hms.harvard.edu
Marsha Lynch - mlynch.hms [at] gmail.com
The 17 territories and approximately 7 million people of the English-speaking Caribbean (formerly the British West Indies) share a unique array of health concerns. What medical concerns do they face as a region and, considering their geographic separation, what issues do they counter independently? What strategies are being employed to ameliorate challenges to their health care systems? How does health care in the Caribbean impact health care in the United States, and vice versa? The mission of CaribHEALTH is to connect Harvard students and faculty who share a desire to pursue detailed answers to these questions and to open dialogue with Caribbean-based health care professionals.
Catholic Student Organization (CSO)
Caroline Troy
The Catholic Student Organization (CSO) is a community of Catholic Christians from Harvard Medical School and Harvard School of Dental Medicine. In addition to providing a forum for HMS/HSDM students and physicians from the Longwood area to come together to share our faith (as well as questions, ideas and doubts!), we also are committed to welcoming members of the entire community to participate in our events. Specifically, we sponsor such events as monthly lunch meetings where we discuss topics relevant to our lives as Catholics in the medical profession, including ethical issues and current events within the Church. We sponsor mass at Vanderbilt Residence Hall on Holy Days, social/prayer groups during Advent and Lent, and community service opportunities. We also participate in the White Mass for all Catholic medical students from area schools sponsored by the St. Luke Society at the beginning of the year. We welcome you to join us!
Christian Medical and Dental Association (CMDA)
John Dickson - john_dickson [at] hms.harvard.edu
Hye Won Lee - hye_lee [at] hsdm.harvard.edu
The CMDA provides a forum for Christians at HMS to share and study their faith with each other and the larger HMS community, particularly addressing questions of how the Christian faith is relevant to medicine. It is a non-denominational group that welcomes anyone with an interest in faith. We hold small group Bible studies, prayer meetings, fellowship gatherings, weekend retreats, and other events to encourage one another and grow in the love of Christ. For more info, check out Harvard's CMDA website.
Harvard Longwood Campus Muslims (HLM)
Navid Redjal - navid_redjal [at] hms.harvard.edu
Zayed Yasin - zayed_yasin [at] hms.harvard.edu
Rameez Qudsi - qudsi [at] hms.harvard.edu
Huma Farid - huma_farid [at] hms.harvard.edu
Assalamu alaikum (peace be upon you)! We are the group of Muslim students, research fellows, residents and faculty in the Longwood Medical area campus. Our aim is to provide support to Muslims and their needs in campus and be available for everyone else in the campus who needs to know about Muslims and Islam. We hope to serve and contribute to the cultural diversity of the campus and be advocates of tolerance and mutual understanding among all of us. We also have daily prayers at Vanderbilt's Muslim prayer room and conduct occasional get-together dinners and other social and scientific activities. We usually arrange for special activities during the holy fasting month of Ramadhan. Please feel free to contact Minhaj Siddiqui if you have any questions or enquiries about our group, the Harvard Medical School, or Boston. An email list for announcements and activities for incoming Muslims is also available; please let us know to put you on the list.
Kinsey 2-6ers
Christopher Lee - christopher_lee [at] hms.harvard.edu
Lee Wheeler - lee_wheeler [at] hms.harvard.edu
The Kinsey 2-6ers is a coalition of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, questioning, intersexed, and supporting students at Harvard Medical School. We welcome all people to all of our educational and social activities. Named for the scale of sexual orientation developed by sexuality researcher Alfred Kinsey in the 1940’s, the Kinsey 2-6ers collaborate with faculty and staff via the Kinsey Caucus to provide visibility to the lives of LGBTQI people in the medical community, and to raise awareness of the needs and concerns of patients who are LGBTQI. We sponsor lectures, symposiums, social mixers with other area students, National Coming Out Day and AIDS Awareness Week activities. We are also working to improve the medical school curriculum at HMS to be more inclusive of people who are LGBTQI and reduce the prejudices and health disparities they experience in the healthcare system and in the community.
Maimonides Society
Soroush Zaghi - soroush_zaghi [at] hms.harvard.edu
Avi Levine - alevine83 [at] gmail.com
Michael Barnett - michael_barnett [at] hms.harvard.edu
The Maimonides Society is the Harvard Medical School and School of Dental Medicine Jewish Student Association, and its events are open to the entire community. Our goal is to provide a comfortable, welcoming environment for Jewish students to make bonds and express their spirituality. Social events are organized around Jewish holidays, Shabbatot, community service, Israeli affairs, and educational seminars. We also coordinate some events with the Harvard Jewish Graduate Student Association and the greater Boston community. Members of Maimonides can help you figure out what synagogues and havurot are around, where to buy a tallit or kosher Chinese food, or who has the best bagels. We look forward to meeting you, and we welcome your involvement, ideas, and enthusiasm!
Medical Students of Las Americas (MeSLA)
Fatima Akrouh - fatima_akrouh [at] hms.harvard.edu
Edith Gurrola - edith_gurrola [at] hms.harvard.edu
Jose Figueroa - jose_figueroa [at] hms.harvard.edu
George Molina - george_molina [at] hms.harvard.edu
Laura Medford-Davis - laura_medford-davis [at] hms.harvard.edu
Medical Students of Las Américas is a Harvard Medical & Dental School student group that is dedicated to the empowerment of the Latino Community. MeSLA seeks to achieve this goal through a multifaceted approach that includes academic support, education about social and health-related issues, community projects for the underserved, and the recruitment of a diverse student body. MeSLA also organizes social and cultural events to celebrate and promote awareness of the great diversity that exists within the Latino community. Membership in MeSLA is open to any Harvard Medical or Dental School student regardless of sex, race, ethnicity, creed, or sexual orientation.
Purposes:
* To promote a community among Latino students at Harvard Medical & Dental Schools.
* To provide active MeSLA members with the opportunity to network with MeSLA upperclassmen, residents, and faculty.
* To provide active members with various volunteer and community service opportunities throughout underserved communities in Boston.
* To promote Latino health awareness by inviting guest speakers who can provide insight on public health issues that affect the Latino community.
* To hold annual Latino cultural celebrations, to hold social mixers, and to improve Latino student group relations with other graduate schools at Harvard University.
Multicultural Student Alliance
Beverlee Turner
The Multicultural Student Alliance is comprised of five HMS/HSDM minority student health organizations: the Black Health Organization (BHO), Medical Students of Las Americas (MeSLA), Native American Health Organization (NAHO), Student National Medical Association (SNMA) and the Student National Dental Association (SNDA). Alliance implements programs and addresses issues that have an impact upon minority students at HMS and HSDM.
Each April, the Office of Recruitment and Multicultural Affairs sponsors the Alliance Revisitation Weekend which is hosted by students and sponsored by the Office. During the Weekend admitted underrepresented minority students visit HMS and HSDM, meet students and faculty and learn about the curriculum. The Weekend is designed to help students with their decision to attend HMS or HSDM.
Native American Health Organization (NAHO)
Ken Bernard - kenneth_bernard [at] hms.harvard.edu
Deema Arafah - deema_arafah [at] hms.harvard.edu
The Native American Health Organization (NAHO) is dedicated to addressing issues relating to the health care of the Native American people across the country. NAHO works with local and national programs to increase awareness of health care disparities that profoundly, negatively affect Native Americans, in addition to promoting health care programs that proactively work within Native American communities. NAHO also works to cultivate a strong sense of community and aid the professional development of Native Americans students at Harvard Medical School, while at the same time coordinating efforts with Native American Organizations from the other Harvard Schools and academic institutions. NAHO holds monthly meetings open to all HMS students, faculty and staff, community service events, and the weekly Dakaa Coffeehouse, an alternative study locale for HMS students. The highlight of our year is in November when NAHO celebrates Native American Heritage Month with weekly events, culminating in the Native American Cultural Gala.
SAMOSA/SAMDA
Navin Kumar - navin_kumar [at] hms.harvard.edu
Anil Kumar - anil_kumar [at] hms.harvard.edu
Christopher Miller - christopher_miller [at] hms.harvard.edu
SAMOSA is student group focused both on South Asian issues in the healthcare arena and in building a community of students interested in South Asian issues. In the past, we’ve sponsored "Healing," a community forum to address the September 11 tragedy and the surrounding issues of race and community for the entire HMS/HSDM student body. We have held culturally oriented events as well, including a Garba-Raas celebration and social mixer events. We seek to promote both a community of physicians interested in South Asian issues at HMS and within the greater Boston community as well.
Community Service Groups
BABIES: Boston Adolescent and Baby Initiative to Ensure Success
Shireen Cama
Amber Frank
Sara Mixter
Carolyn Olson
BABIES is a student-run organization with the goal of educating and assisting pregnant and parenting teens who are often underserved in their communities. Students will complete training sessions in the fall to learn about pregnancy, breastfeeding, general infant care, and social services available for young parents. Volunteers will then participate in a program with expecting adolescent mothers to attend pre-natal appointments and delivery, take part in pre- and postnatal education, as well as provide continuing social and emotional support. Program participants work in close collaboration with staff at the Children’s Hospital Young Parent’s Program and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Adolescent Reproductive Health Service. This is a great opportunity for students interested in reproductive health, primary care, and adolescent medicine as well as in using Spanish language skills in the community.
Bridging the Gap
Steven Porter - steven.l.porter [at] gmail.com
Amy Saltzman - amy.saltzman [at] gmail.com
Neal Chatterjee - neal_chatterjee [at] hms.harvard.edu
Bridging the Gap is a student-run refugee health organization that matches medical students with refugee families for one academic year. Over the year, students work closely with families to define and meet their most pressing needs. In the past, students have provided English language tutoring, assistance with the school system, accompaniment to medical appointments, and mentoring for children and adolescents. The program encourages the development of stable and supportive relationships between students and families. Participating families live in Chelsea, MA, a diverse community located 15 minutes from downtown Boston and served by the MGH-Chelsea Health Center. Most have lived in the United States for less that one year, and are still working to establish stable home and work lives. Languages spoken include Somali, Dari, Farsi, Arabic, Creole, Portuguese, French, and Spanish. Bridging the Gap has recently received funding that will allow the group to expand and extend its activities in the coming year. In addition to working directly with one refugee family, interested students can also help to develop a series of health education workshops for participating families and shadow health professionals at the MGH Chelsea Health Center who provide care to refugees.
Future Investigators
Michael Wagner - michael_wagner [at] hms.harvard.edu
Blacks and Latinos remain under-represented in health care professions, especially academic medicine. Future Investigators aims to address this issue by introducing minority youth from inner-city Boston to a career in medicine, while providing these promising adolescents with early experience in research. First year medical students are teamed up with 7th grade students and provide guidance to them, helping the 7th graders to design and carry out original research on a health topic of relevance to minority communities. Periodic meetings with HMS faculty serve a dual purpose: additional guidance from experienced physicians, and exposing the 7th graders to physicians as scientists. We meet once per week at the students' school from November to April, where medical students teach the 7th graders the basics of sophisticated concepts, including pathophysiology, access to care/disparities, literature review, hypothesis testing, and communication of research results. We learn by doing, so no experience with research or this age group is required. Feel free to contact us with any and all questions!
Boston Asthma Swim
Yi Li - yi_li [at] hms.harvard.edu
Boston Asthma Swim is a student-run after-school program that serves underprivileged youth at Josiah Quincy Elementary School and the South Cove Community Health Center in Boston’s Chinatown district. The weekly program targets children with childhood asthma and integrates one hour of asthma education with one hour of swimming lessons. It was established in 2002 with the dual goals of: 1.) empowering children with knowledge about asthma management and, 2.) improving breathing efficiency, developing good breathing techniques, and promoting general fitness through swimming.
Project HANDS
Camden Doughtie
Soraya Chinea
Project HANDS is a dental volunteer group at HSDM that aims to reach out to children in the Longwoond Area by teaching about oral health, hygiene and nutrition. Our volunteers are first and second year students who help design and carry out a variety of fun projects which include teaching kids to brush their teeth using a stuffed animal prop, learning about various types of teeth and their names, healthy and unhealthy foods, among many others. We have been volunteering at the Manville School in Mission Hill, which is a quick walk from the Longwood Medical Area. Participating as a volunteer requires one hour of time per week, usually on firday afternoon for the 6-8 week duration of the project. The experience of Project HANDS is a rewarding one, for both the children and volunteers.
Harvard Health Care for the Homeless (HCH)
Lee Wheeler - lee_wheeler [at] hms.harvard.edu
Harvard Health Care for the Homeless is a student run organization that aims to promote awareness within HMS of the needs and health care for the large homeless population of Boston. The group will organize lectures/panel discussions that will address health care issues relevant to homeless and marginally housed patients. This organization will actively seek to identify pertinent grassroots issues affecting this patient population through outreach and cooperation with community members and existing homeless programs/shelters. The group hopes to create opportunities for students to shadow physicians who care for the homeless in shelter and hospital settings. Finally, Harvard Health Care for the Homeless will provide service opportunities for students and give HMS a unique insight into the care of a sub-population of people who are often neglected in our current health system.
Harvard Graduate Council (HGC)
Jason Rafferty - Jason_Rafferty [at] hms.harvard.edu
James Wang -yen_wang [at] hms.harvard.edu
The HGC serves as the University-wide student government for the eleven (11) graduate and professional schools at Harvard: Arts and Sciences, Business, Dental, Design, Divinity, Education, Extension, Kennedy School of Government, Law, Medical, and Public Health. The mission of the HGC is to create a strong graduate community by advocating for over 13,000 graduate students at Harvard and promoting cross-school networking and community service. The HGC welcomes the input and participation of all Harvard graduate students in our activities. Please visit our website www.hgc.harvard.edu to learn more, and let us hear from you on how we may serve you better!
HDPI – Heart Disease Prevention Initiative
Rachel Peragallo
Monique Anderson
The Heart Disease Prevention Initiative (HDPI) promotes awareness and prevention of cardiovascular disease in the African American community. HDPI was created due to the harsh reality of healthcare disparities. In particular, African-Americans are 50% more likely than whites to suffer a heart attack and 40% more likely to suffer a stroke. As a race, they are disproportionately more likely to suffer morbidity and mortality from heart disease than any other race. Harvard medical students will promote health by planning and conducting health fairs, seminars, healthy soul food cooking classes, and exercise classes in a local church. By raising awareness and promoting prevention, it is our hope that members of this community adopt healthier lifestyles and diets, and communicate better with their physicians about their needs and concerns. HDPI is open to all Harvard medical students who have a sincere desire to bridge the racial disparity gap that exists in cardiovascular medicine.
Hogan Project
Marissa Wagner
Taking place over spring break, the Hogan Project allows students to serve a community while learning about the challenges of providing health care in a unique, rural environment. 15-20 medical students will travel to Rock Point, AZ to build a hogan (traditional Navajo home) for a family in need of adequate housing. The project, in collaboration with local Navajo organizations, is an attempt to combat one of many socio-economic barriers that influence health and quality of life in this region. The group also holds seminars designed to address contemporary and historical issues related to Native American politics, culture and health.
Martha Eliot Mentoring Program
Jason Rafferty - jason_rafferty [at] hms.harvard.edu
Fatima Akrouh - fakrouh [at] gmail.com
Starta Kiser - sj.kiser [at] gmail.com
Swetlana Lobachova - swetlana_lobachova [at] hms.harvard.edu
The Martha Eliot Mentorship Program aims to provide guidance, support, and mentorship to underrepresented minority youth in the Jamaica Plain area. The program recruits adolescents and teenagers ages 11-14 who access their health care at the Martha Eliot Health Center and/or reside in the Bromley Heath Housing Project. Mentees are matched with Harvard medical and dental students (years I and II) who serve as their mentors throughout the entire academic year. The program runs every Friday from 4:00 to 7:00 pm at the Martha Eliot Health Center in Jamaica Plain. Activities vary from week to week and include group activities at the health center and field trips. For more information, attend our informational meeting or contact one of the Program Coordinators.
Mentoring at the Elizabeth Stone House (MESH)
Zachary Morris
MESH is a new student group focused on mentorship, education, and promotion of healthy lifestyles among the residents of the Elizabeth Stone House. The Elizabeth Stone House is a residential facility in Roxbury that provides housing for victims of domestic violence and their children until such time as they are able to find and afford their own housing. Members of MESH typically assume one of two roles. Some work with the women residing at the Elizabeth Stone House and focus on education and encouragment of healthful living. The remainder of the MESH members partner with the children of these women in a mentoring role. The essence of the mentoring relationship is to share experiences and to lead by positive example and influence. Members of MESH typically coordinate weekly meetings at the Elizabeth Stone House lasting one to two hours. In addition, the group strives to organize monthly field trips to various Boston venues. With its flexible schedule MESH offers a great way for medical students to get involved in the local community and help fill a much needed and greatly appreciated role at the Elizabeth Stone House.
MSF Week at Harvard-MIT
Yoda Patta - yoda.patta [at] gmail.com
Karolina Maciag - maciag [at] post.harvard.edu
MSF: Medecins Sans Fontiers (Doctors Without Borders) Week at MIT and Harvard is an annual event showcasing the work of MSF. This year's event will be held from October 29th until November 4th, 2007 and include talks given by doctors who have worked for MSF, screenings of the film "Invisibles," and a photography exhibit. All members of the MIT and Harvard communities are invited to attend, as well as to join the planning committee and event crew. We hope you'll join us in celebrating the amazing organization that brings aid and medicine to some of the most remote places on Earth, and we hope that this week will also inspire you to help make a difference in your own way.
Prevention, Health Awareness, and Choice through Education (PHACE)
Shalini Lal - shalini_lal [at] hms.harvard.edu
Interested in working with teenagers? Comfortable talking about sex? Come teach an innovative, youth friendly sexual health curriculum to Boston high school and middle school students. PHACE teachers receive a comprehensive training in the fall covering strategies to teach about STIs, HIV, sexuality, pregnancy, drugs, dating violence and other life issues. PHACEers co-teach one period a week for the second half of the school year at one of our partner schools. Please contact us over the summer if you are interested in participating or have questions!
Students Teaching Early Prevention (STEP)
Haley Hamlin
This new student–run organization is a novel attempt to approach the obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular epidemic that is overwhelming Western Society. Unfortunately, this epidemic is particularly an issue in adolescents. Medical students will engage in a three part series of evening lectures presented by distinguished clinical faculty from local hospitals and HMS. These informal interactive sessions will provide training in various aspects of cardiovascular prevention that is clearly lacking in the current medical school curriculum. More specific topics include atherosclerosis, CAD, diabetes, drug therapy, cigarette smoking/cessation, nutrition, exercise, risk reduction, adolescent psychology and behavior modification.
After training, HMS students will go out in pairs to local area middle schools and high schools to do presentations using materials developed by the STEP participants and faculty. HMS students will have the opportunity to give students the knowledge and tools they need to identify their risk factors and pursue a lifestyle that promotes awareness of overall health, elimination of risk factors, and prevention of life threatening diseases. The program’s impact on both medical students and their audience will be studied. The STEP program is a wonderful opportunity for further education in cardiovascular prevention while also making a difference in the lives of adolescents.
Connect to Health
Chris Lee - christopher_lee [at] hms.harvard.edu
Tisamarie Sherry - tisamarie_sherry [at] hms.harvard.edu
Connect to Health offers health screenings, information, and a caring listener to the mainly indigent and homeless individuals that attend a free weekly meal in Harvard Square. Students have the opportunity to develop relationships with these individuals while practicing taking medical histories and vital signs and learning about healthcare access issues affecting the homeless, handicapped, poor, and elderly. When appropriate, we help individuals obtain the care they need. We also work with the population as a whole and with the healthcare system in Cambridge to improve access and reduce barriers to care.
Student Life Groups
HMS/HSDM Soccer Club
Evan Rachlin
The HMS soccer club was created over a decade ago to provide an opportunity for HMS students to interact in a fun setting outside of the classroom and beyond the hospitals. The club organizes the use of facilities (the gym in Vandy and currently the Danehy Soccer Field in Cambridge) for scrimmages and pick-up games on a weekly basis. For experienced players who are interested in playing competitively, the HMS Soccer Club also fields a co-ed traveling team that plays in the Bay State Soccer League throughout the spring and fall. Soccer is also organized in the winter – indoor games in Vandy and organized indoor play in competitive leagues throughout the Greater Boston area. The team provides a chance for HMS students and residents to form friendships with others at different points in their medical training. We’re always on the look-out for new HMS talent, so don’t hesitate to contact us and join us for a scrimmage.
Life Drawing/Figure Drawing
Fan Liang
Out of the woodwork of the Longwood Medical Area come amateurs and artists every other Tuesday night just to draw. It’s a simple formula: live models, charcoal, paper, and students and faculty – expressive therapy for the creative spirit within and candid perspectives on the human body. Open to all; newsprint, charcoal, ink, pencils, and a model are all provided by the group. No experience is necessary. Meetings are held every other Tuesday night 7-8:30 in the Vandy Deanery.
Organization of Older, Off-Campus, and Otherwise Out-of-Place Students (OOOOPS)
Sam Zager - samzager [at] hms.harvard.edu
The purpose of OOOOPS is to create opportunities for older, off-campus, and otherwise "out-of-place" students to connect with one another in a relaxed, social environment. Activities such as barbeques and pot-luck dinners tend to take place at the homes of members, and spouses, partners, and children are always welcome. OOOOPS has also worked to create opportunities for all HMS students to learn about issues that will face many of us in years to come, such as maintaining personal relationships while pursuing careers in medicine. Such opportunities include panel presentations and mentoring relationships.
Performing Arts Interest Group
Stephanie Hu
Erica Kaye
Nir Harish
Rachel Jimenez
Shennen Floy
The Performing Arts Interest Group (PAIG) seeks to promote the wealth of musical and performing arts events available to the community, such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Harvard Radcliffe Chorus, Boston Ballet, New England Conservatory students, Boston Chamber Music Society, Boston Opera, Longwood Symphony Orchestra, visiting jazz artists, theatrical performances, and even indie bands. Our goal is to share knowledge about the amazing musical and performing arts events nearby and introduce our friends and other students to talented performers and groups who would otherwise go unnoticed. We maintain and update events listings on a centrally accessible calendar, organize group outings, and work on obtaining group discounts or student rates. Another goal is to gather and organize information about the student performers and musicians and their areas of specialization and to facilitate possible collaborations for performances or benefit concerts here at the medical school, by members of the medical school for the medical community. We hope to expand this to include other forms of performing arts in future years. In short, we would like to take better advantage of the wealth of musical and performing arts opportunities available in this community and facilitate collaborations and outings together.
The Weekly Murmur
Vincent Chen
Shennen Floy
The Murmur is the HMS / HSDM student newsletter founded in the Fall of 2003 by Ji Yeon Kim. The Murmur is distributed in lecture halls and society rooms throughout the year, providing students with interesting, fun, and relevant articles to read. This is a newsletter of the students, by the students and for the students. Goals of The Murmur include:
* To publicize events and issues of interest to the HMS and HSDM student community.
* To provide a record of HMS / HSDM traditions.
* To create a forum for student-led dialogues exploring ethics, social factors, economics, politics, etc relevant to modern medical and dental training and professional practice.
* To stimulate interactions between third and fourth year students with the first and second year medical and dental students.
Orientation/Admissions Activities
FEAT (First-Year Educational Adventure Trip)
Laura Warren - laura_warren [at] hms.harvard.edu
Rebecca Rogers - rebecca_rogers [at] hms.harvard.edu
FEAT is an optional outdoor orientation program for entering medical and dental students. Groups of eight first-year students and two second year students spend four days backpacking in the Maine and New Hampshire wilderness before official orientation begins. The goal of the trip is to provide a relaxing and informal environment for first-years to get to know a few of their classmates, learn about HMS/HSDM and have a lot of fun.
FUNC (First-Year Urban Neighborhood Campaign)
Milena Andzelm - milena_andzelm [at] hms.harvad.edu
Andrew Synn - ajsynn [at] gmail.com
Lianne Morris-Smith - lianne.morrissmith [at] gmail.com
FUNC is a community service program which runs the week before the orientation for incoming students. Incoming first year students work daily alongside second year students in local community service organizations. During three of the evenings, speakers introduce the various types of community service opportunities available in the Boston area to the students. After the talks, social outings led by FUNC leader(s) serve to acquaint the students with the Boston culture. The purpose of FUNC is to familiarize the incoming students with the community service opportunities in Boston, allow them to get to know their classmates before classes begin, and enjoy Boston.
LIFE
Milena Andzelm - milena_andzelm [at] hms.harvad.edu
Jenny Yang - yawei_yang [at] hms.harvard.edu
By organizing social events throughout the month of September, LIFE strives to make the transition to medical school as enjoyable as possible! From the Big Sib/Lil Sib program, to tours of the city, to the Harbor Cruise, LIFE provides numerous opportunities for the first year class to explore their new surroundings and to find answers to any of their questions about life at Harvard.
Other Interest Groups
Promoting Awareness and Violence Education (PAVE)
Mark Schaffer
Shennen Floy
PAVE (Promoting Awareness and Violence Education) is the new name for the Domestic Violence Awareness Group. The group is changing from one with a solely domestic violence focus to one that will include child and family violence as well. We hope to increase awareness of the prevalence of family and domestic violence and to educate students about the physician’s role in preventing violence and in identifying and supporting victims of violence. We welcome anyone interested in family or community violence or community outreach and education to join. Our planned events for the year include lunchtime talks on family violence and the law and on the medical provider's role in caring for women affected by domestic violence, as well as displaying the clothesline project in the MEC atrium and volunteering at a local shelter. Please contact Abby May or Anne Warren with any questions about the group.
Harvard-Iraq Medical Relief Coalition
Areej El-Jawahri
The coalition is a group of HMS students involved in organizing medical relief efforts for Iraq, fostering cooperation between Harvard and medical schools in Iraq, holding Iraq-related events at the medical school, and publishing information about the health situation in Iraq in national newspapers and medical journals.
Harvard-Sarajevo Medical Exchange
Jason Wasfy
The exchange helps to establish contacts and exchanges between medical students at HMS and medical students at the University of Sarajevo, with the goal of helping Bosnia develop its health care system in the wake of its devastating war.
Healthcare Action Collective (HAC)
Sara Mixter
Dellie Sorel
The Healthcare Action Collective was formed to provide organizational and training capacity for students who want to get involved in grassroots political activism. We promote a range of political activities from civil disobedience to putting on a suit and schmoozing with politicians in the capital. We exist to make change happen. Our guiding philosophy is that current state of health care and social justice is deplorable and that this will only change through grassroots mobilization.
As medical students, we believe that advocacy begins with confronting the individual experience of people coping with health injustice. This requires stepping out of our marble box and forming personal relationships with community members. We support students and faculty to confront the lived experience of racism, discrimination, and political marginalization through one on one conversation and friendship with community members. These conversations and friendships become a source of insight and power to bring about change. We have a group of over 300 friends and supporters in Mission Hill who have been contacted through door to door canvassing, health fairs, and individual outreach. We work closely with the Mission Hill Youth Collaborative, State Representative Jeffrey Sanchez, and a number of community based agencies. Last year, we helped to successfully launch an ongoing campaign to make healthcare a right for all Massachusetts residents.
Harvard Medical School AIDS Action Initiative (HMSAAI)
Stella Safo - stellasafo [at] gmail.com
Steve Porter - steve.l.porter [at] gmail.com
Leanna Sudhof - leannassudhof [at] gmail.com
Lee Wheeler - lee_wheeler [at] hms.harvard.edu
Sharon Owusu-Darko - sowusudarko [at] gmail.com
HMSAAI is a group of students across all four years of the medical school interested in all aspects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Some of us are focused on activism, others on basic or clinical science, and still others on public health and social medicine. We work to bring together the many HMS students who are independently working on HIV/AIDS issues, in order to share information and ideas and collaborate on projects. We also collaborate with the undergraduate and School of Public Health HIV/AIDS groups. Our projects include AIDS Week, with a week of activities surrounding World AIDS Day; lunch talks throughout the year on topics ranging from developing an AIDS vaccine to exploring the explanatory model of AIDS' patients in resource-poor settings; advocacy surrounding global HIV/AIDS issues; movie screenings and photo exhibits; a journal club; and community service projects here in Boston, including the AIDS Walk in June.
Medical Students for Choice
Devon Quasha - devon_quasha [at] hms.harvard.edu
Medical Students for Choice is a pan-North American organization standing in opposition to the shortage in abortion providers, violence against providers, the lack of education in medical school curriculums about abortion and obstacles that women face in obtaining safe reproductive health care. The Harvard Medical School chapter of MSFC aims to educate HMS students about such issues, both in general and with the viewpoint that many students may become providers themselves. In addition to a regular lecture series, we offer opportunities to shadow abortion providers at Planned Parenthood and to obtain a certificate in Reproductive Health Education and Awareness.
Physicians for Human Rights (PHR)
Shennen Floy
Dunia Abdul-Aziz
Priyanka Agarwal
Eunice Yi
Manasa Basavapatna
The Harvard Medical School Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) student group actively works to promote awareness of health and human rights issues. In order to generate energy for pressing issues, PHR organizes speakers, discussions, and letter-writing campaigns. As future physicians we operate out of a belief that good health is intimately linked with the protection of human rights and act to enhance medical education with this perspective. We work closely with the PHR headquarters in downtown Boston.
Physicians For Social Responsibility/ International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War
Manasa Basavapatna
Nila Gunawardane
Physicians for Social Responsibility is a national organization founded in 1961 with the goal of educating the public about the dangers of nuclear war. Today, PSR has 3 major goals: (1) preventing gun violence, (2) promoting international security, and (3) protection of the global environment. PSR is a well-established organization with a long history of advocacy at the local and national level. The HMS chapter of PSR works closely with the Boston office to educate medical students about these three topics, and also promotes public policies that protect human health. We achieve these goals by (1) bringing speakers, symposia, and films to HMS, (2) providing outreach opportunities in the community, and (3) encouraging medical students to advocate for public policy changes. We also work with the international branch of PSR, International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) to address issues of international security as they relate to health. We encourage any students who would like to work in these areas to join us and to develop projects of personal interest.
STMM (Short Term Medical Missions) Connect
Jesse Maki
STMM Connect is a group of students that are interested in international health and in concrete efforts to improve the quality of care delivered by international aid organizations. We focus primarily on short term medical missions (STMMs) like Project Hope, Operation Smile, and Americares. In this effort, STMM Connect and Harvard Medical International (HMI) have been developing a survey-based evaluation methodology to assess these short-term medical missions, in an effort to improve overall quality and cost effectiveness. The evaluation tool is online at stmmconnect.org. We’re always looking for motivated students to attend missions over the summer and participate in their evaluation.
Students for Environmental Awareness in Medicine (SEAM)
Leanna Sudhof - leannassudhof [at] gmail.com
Rebecca Rogers - rebecca_rogers [at] hms.harvard.edu
Students for Environmental Awareness in Medicine was founded out of concern about escalating trends in environmental degradation and the absence of public discourse about the threat this degradation poses to human health. We feel that medical students and physicians have a unique role to play in helping to improve the environmental health of our patients, present and future, and to advocate for environmental protection. SEAM aims to address these issues locally and nationally through a wide variety of educational and interactive activities.
Students for Global Health (SGH)
Chitra Akilaswaran - chitra.a [at] gmail.com
Noelle Layer - noelle_layer [at] hms.harvard.edu
Christopher Miller - christophermiller81 [at] gmail.com
The Harvard Students for Global Health group promotes the presence of international health opportunities and issues around the medical school. We work to connect students with projects, faculty, and other students who can serve as resources for students wishing to incorporate international health experiences into their medical school curriculum. Additionally, we bring speakers, encourage discussion and debate, and spread awareness related to a multitude of issues and ideas in international health.
Clubs That Need New Leadership
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Interest Group
You’ve probably noticed it. You’ve seen it in the clinics. You’ve read about it in the tutorial cases. Your patients at the hospital are talking about it. Even your mom is asking you questions. So, what’s all the hubbub about? What is alternative medicine? There is an increasing hum of discontent among patients voicing concern that conventional medical practices neglect the whole, sentient patient. In 1997, 42% of Americans reported that they use alternative medical services. Despite this public interest, there is a noticeable lack of practical information available in the Harvard Medical School curriculum. To be competent in our field, we need to know the Who? What? Where? Why? and How? of complementary therapies. The Holistic Medicine Group brings professional alternative medical practitioners into our community to teach us about their field. Through these exposures, we are able to learn the philosophies driving the various fields and the techniques employed. Only with information can we formulate an educated opinion on the topics. The Holistic Medicine Group also brings medical and scientific researchers into the community to discuss the evidence and/or lack of evidence that they have gathered to support the use of complementary techniques for various clinical syndromes. Simultaneously, there is a student discussion group to address issues of complementary/alternative medicine, both from a professional and academic perspective.
Low Technology Medicine Interest Group
The Low Tech Medicine Interest Group is a collection of laid back students who are interested in practicing creative medicine in resource-poor settings, such as refugee camps and remote areas in both developing and developed nations. We collaborate with other student groups to bring low technology topics of interest, which are not covered by the HMS curriculum, to the student body. Past lectures have included a brief overview of how to manage labor and delivery of a child on an airplane, patient stabilization in the wilderness, accounts of practicing medicine in a war zone and in refugee camps, disaster/mass casualty medicine, nutritional surveillance techniques, and using clinical proxies for common lab values. We try to offer a hands-on component with every lecture.
MUNCH (Medicine United through Nutrition, Cooking and Health)
Medicine United through Nutrition, Culture, and Health (MUNCH) is a group of students interested in nutrition, its role in preventative medicine, and the social issues surrounding food. We are also dedicated to integrating nutrition into medical education and clinical practice. MUNCH organizes a series of talks designed to increase knowledge of many aspects of nutrition among the Harvard medical community. In addition, MUNCH is hoping to continue developing Cooking with Knowledge, a culinary nutrition course for first and second year students, which will be co-taught by professors from the Division of Nutrition at Harvard and Boston area chefs. MUNCH will also help students get involved in local community service initiatives that aim to improve the nutrition of patients and Boston residents.
Music Society
The Music Society aims to bring together the members of the HMS community with an interest in music. One important function we perform is to compile a list of musicians at HMS so that ensembles, from string quartets to rock bands, can be formed. In the coming year we will continue the tradition of chamber and solo recitals, have a world music recital, go caroling in the hospitals, sponsor a karaoke/cabaret party, have music and medicine lectures, and make sure the pianos are tuned and the practice rooms are maintained.
Sexual Health Awareness Group for Medical Students
The Sexual Health Awareness Group for Medical Students seeks to fill the gaps in our medical curriculum surrounding issues of sex, sexuality, sexual behavior and sexual health. We as health care professionals need a more thorough understanding of these issues in order to be able to offer outstanding health care to our patients. In today’s society, it is of vital importance for all physicians to be comfortable taking a thorough sexual history as well as providing the most accurate information. This program will offer lectures for medical students and interested graduate students and faculty on topics that address the psychosocial, pathophysiological, and clinical components pertaining to sexual health.
Art and Literary Magazine
Purpose:
1. To publish an annual magazine showcasing works of poetry, prose, drawing, painting and photography created by members of the medical community (students, faculty and staff).
2. To establish a culture of expression and creation in the Harvard medical community.
3. To foster the sharing of talent and skill in the Harvard medical community.
Charity Ball
The Charity Ball is a student led event, benefiting the Type for Life Initiative, a bone marrow registration fundraising drive and one of the three branches of The Giving Tree Program at Harvard Medical School. The Giving Tree and its components seek to eliminate disparities in health care that exist in the disadvantaged and marginalized populations, and it is an organization with extensive medical student involvement.
CommUnity Forum
The purpose of this student-initiated forum is to incorporate our diverse voices in addressing rarely discussed issues that are central to the HMS/HSDM community. Our CommUnity Forums are designed for the students by the students with the hope of creating stronger networks between us by opening avenues of communication and understanding.
HMS Athletic Club
The purpose of the Athletic Club is to encourage the people of Harvard Medical School (primarily students) to participate in athletics as a unified student body in order to foster a stronger sense of community and unity. The Athletic Club's primary focus is on organizing and leading a unified Harvard Medical (HMS) and Dental (HSDM) team in the AIDS Walk/Run Boston. This event is the largest AIDS awareness fundraiser in all of New England. AIDS Walk Boston benefits the AIDS Action Committee in their efforts to end the epidemic of HIV through prevention, education and patient outreach services. For more info see: www.aidswalkboston.org. Every year we have over 120 student participants! If anyone has other ideas on how to foster a sense of school unity through athletics, this club will support it!!
HMS Flower Fund
The HMS Patient Fund serves to provide tokens of appreciation to patients participating in first-year clinics.
WISH
Wisdom, Insight and Sharing for Health Collaborative (W.I.S.H.) seeks to generate a supportive environment where medical and dental students can exchange personal and professional experiences as peers in a small group setting. Through the formation of groups consisting of six members from the different societies, W.I.S.H members are able to meet and create a foundation of longitudinal support for the duration of their attendance at HMS/HSDM. This is modeled after the Young President’s Organization Forum, which seeks to provide a similar environment to heads of multi-million dollar corporations in order to “create better leaders through education and idea exchange”. We believe that through this exchange we can harness the unique foundation of wisdom and knowledge that we each possess for individual and common improvement and success.
Type for Life
The Harvard Type for Life is an organization dedicated towards expanding the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) registry. We hold an annual “tissue typing” drive open to all Harvard students, faculty, and staff, where potential donors have blood drawn and are entered into this nationwide database. By helping to expand the registry, we are doing our small part to help patients who are in need of a bone marrow transplant, and in doing so, we could potentially save a life! In addition to this springtime drive, we also undertake extensive fund raising efforts during the fall semester. Good luck in the upcoming year, and we look forward to meeting you all very soon!
Blockbuster
There are some lovely textbooks out there, and some that would make lovely kindling. As one of the LIFE mentoring events, the Blockbuster helps you distinguish between the two by giving you the lowdown on what each book is like, and on what kind of student might like it. The Blockbuster session will also introduce the STC's Academic Packet, which includes information to orient first-year students to academic life at HMS.
© HMS Student Council 2006-2007, All Rights Reserved.
Last Updated: July 14, 2005
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