2004 Interim Meeting

2004 Interim Meeting Highlights

The MSS held its 26th Interim Meeting on December 2–4 at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta. Over 800 students attended the meeting, which two full days of educational programming on topics such as student work hours, patient safety, HIV and international health, the uninsured, lobbying techniques, residency, a Physicians Leadership Council featuring Senator Tom Price, MD, and much more!, Michael Fleming, MD, FAAFP, Board Chair, American Academy of Family Physicians, presented the keynote address, “Making a Difference: A Doctors' Role in the Health of the Public,” which kicked off the MSS’ National Service Project on Healthy Lifestyles to Reduce Obesity.

The MSS held a successful Third Annual Research Poster Award with a record number of 88 abstracts submitted. Three winners were selected by members of the AMA Council on Scientific Affairs, including: 1^st Place, Nabilla Porbandarwalla, University of Texas Medical School - San Antonio; 2^nd Place, Leonid Cherkassky, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine; 3^rd Place, Tim & Amy Juelson, University of North Dakota School of Medicine; and two Honorable Mentions, Jessica Ackert, NYS School of Medicine and David Weinreb, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine. The first place recipient receives a trip to the AMA National Advocacy Conference in Washington, DC in March 2005. This program is sponsored by an educational grant from the Pfizer Medical Humanities Initiative.

We are pleased to announce the election of the MSS Chair-Elect, Alik Widge, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and Trustee, Joe McDonald, University of Kansas School of Medicine whose terms commence after the 2005 Annual Meeting.

MSS Policy Highlights

At the 2004 Interim Meeting, the MSS Assembly considered 46 items of business, including 40 resolutions and 6 reports. The MSS focused on various issues ranging from medical education to obesity to internal MSS and AMA issues. Items of business related to medical education addressed numerous complex issues including expanding state medical society scholarships, offering health insurance for medical students, and recommendations to reform the NRMP Match. Policy was passed on several obesity issues including promoting fitness and healthy lifestyles in physicians and health professionals, as well as the promotion of low calorie, low sugar drinks as a healthy alternative in schools.

A resolution on abstinence-only education and federally-funded community based initiatives was immediately transmitted to the HOD. The policy was amended, but passed the HOD. The new policy states that the AMA only supports programs that are evidence-based.

“Healthy Lifestyles to Reduce Obesity” Kicks Off

Energy levels were high on Friday, December 3 as approximately 60 MSS members dressed in scrubs visited Atlanta’s Paul L. Dunbar Elementary School, clutching bags of groceries and boxes of education materials, ready to promote our new National Service Project. Spanning the next two years, “Healthy Lifestyles” includes activities at the local, state and national levels, dedicated to reducing or halting obesity — the No. 1 preventable cause of death in the United States in children. In addition, the MSS Assembly donated $850 that will be used to purchase two basketball hoops for Dunbar Elementary School in order to leave behind something to make a positive, lasting change toward healthy, active lifestyles.

Final actions
At the 2004 Interim Meeting, the MSS Assembly considered 46 items of business, including 40 resolutions and 6 reports. The MSS focused on various issues ranging from medical education to obesity to internal MSS and AMA issues. Items of business related to medical education addressed numerous complex issues including expanding state medical society scholarships, offering health insurance for medical students, and recommendations to reform the NRMP Match. Policy was passed on several obesity issues including promoting fitness and healthy lifestyles in physicians and health professionals, as well as the promotion of low calorie, low sugar drinks as a healthy alternative in schools.

A resolution on abstinence-only education and federally-funded community based initiatives was immediately transmitted to the HOD. The policy was amended, but passed the HOD. The new policy states that the AMA only supports programs that are evidence-based.

Reference Committee A (PDF, 115KB, requires Adobe® Reader®)

Reference Committee B (PDF, 119KB)