COLA Grassroots Action Network

The MSS Grassroots Action Network is maintained by COLA to facilitate coordinated national campaigns on important medical student issues such as the proposed clinical skills assessment examination and medical education debt.

COLA works closely with the MSS Governing Council to establish issue priorities and develop grassroots action tools (e.g. sample letters, talking points) for each AMA student chapter. Each member of COLA communicates these priorities and action tools to the student chapters of approximately half a region (8-12 schools). Individual chapter COLA liaisons ensure that the students of their medical school are informed, and have an opportunity to become involved in these issues. COLA liaisons also provide continuous feedback on their chapter’s progress to their COLA member contact.

Why Every Chapter Should Have a COLA Liaison

In order to effectively communicate information about important issues and to facilitate grassroots action on a national level, COLA is asking each chapter to elect or appoint one student to the position of "COLA Liaison." Each of the 14 members of COLA have been assigned to maintain communication with 8-12 COLA liaisons. The specific role of the chapter COLA Liaison will be to:

• Educate: Communicate information from COLA to the students at each chapter by sending email, distributing printed material, and making announcements during chapter meetings. The COLA liaison is also encouraged to organize meetings and/or discussion groups that bring in guest speakers and allow students to ask questions about these issues.
• Activate: Facilitate grassroots involvement in response to national issues by organizing letter writing campaigns, distributing talking points, and asking members to contact another organization or their congressperson, communicating press releases to local media, etc. The COLA liaison is asked to track their chapter’s grassroots involvement and report this information to their designated COLA member.
• Provide Feedback: Provide constant feedback to COLA from the individual chapter level so that the COLA can address issues that are important to all medical students.

It will be the role of the officers of each chapter to decide how the COLA liaison is elected or appointed. This position may be filled by an existing chapter officer or by creating a new office within your chapter’s governing board. COLA liaisons should serve a 1-year term, starting late August if possible. The name and contact information (including phone number(s) and e-mail) of the Chapter COLA liaison should be emailed to a COLA member.

• COLA member contact information
• Does your chapter have a COLA liaison? Please e-mail your designated COLA contact.