Committee on Legislation and Advocacy
About the Committee
The AMA-MSS Committee on Legislation and Advocacy (COLA) is responsible for creating and maintaining a network of MSS schools and members to accomplish grassroots political action. COLA advances key student issues through a coordinated campaign at each national meeting as well as providing strategy, sample letters, talking points, and additional information and resources to fuel grassroots campaigns for specific MSS priority issues. This committee works with the MSS Governing Council on accomplishing specific MSS advocacy goals, both global and domestic.
Committee members
Shaan Gandhi, Chair
Harvard Medical School
Dina Marie Pitta, Vice Chair
University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
Brad Burmeister
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine
Kevin Contrera
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Eli Freiman
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Christina Kratschmer
Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University
Joy Lee
UMDNJ-RWJ Medical School
Joshua Lesko
Eastern Virginia Medical School
Matthew Magyar
The University of Toledo College of Medicine
Rebecca Rogers
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas Southwestern Medical School
Kartik Sarma
University of California Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine
Andrew Widmer
Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine
Issues, Information and Resources
COLA has developed Issue Briefs and Presentations on a wide range of health policy issues, tailored to meet the needs and interests of medical students. Please feel free to distribute these materials widely. And be sure to check back often for new Issue Briefs and Presentations.
- New! COLA Presentation: Accountable Care Organizations (presented at the 2011 AMA-MSS Annual Meeting)
- COLA Presentation: How the AMA is Helping Medical Students with GME issues
- COLA Presentation: How the AMA is Helping Medical Students with Debt Issues
- Lobby Day: COLA Guide to Lobbying
- Lobby Day: Tips and Resources for AMA-MSS Members
- Lobby Day: Overview on GME Issues
- Lobby Day: How to Plan an Effective State Lobby Day
Get Involved
There are many ways you can get involved with AMA and MSS health policy legislation and advocacy efforts.
Visit the AMA's Grassroots Action Center
The AMA Grassroots Action Center, sometimes also referred to as "Capwiz," provides contact information for your elected officials, information on pending legislation of importance to physicians and the medical community, and records of your elected officials' votes on key health policy legislation. You can even send letters/emails/faxes to your elected officials letting them know how you, as a medical student and future physician, feel about the issues and their impact on the future of medicine.
Join AMPAC
The American Medical Political Action Committee (AMPAC) is the bipartisan political action committee of the American Medical Association. Its goal is to support and elect pro-medicine candidates on the federal level. Learn more about AMPAC and how you can get involved!
Apply for the AMA Government Relations Internship Program
The AMA Government Relations Internship Program (GRIP) provides stipends to assist selected students who are completing summer health policy internships in the Washington, D.C., area.Spend your summer working on health policy issues in Washington, D.C. Applications are due in February.
Apply for the Government Relations Advocacy Fellowship
Each year, the AMA Government Relations Advocacy Fellowship (GRAF) provides one medical student with the opportunity to work in the AMA's Washington, D.C., office as a full-time paid member of the AMA's Federal advocacy team. Applications are due in January.
