MSS Committees

Each year, the MSS Governing Council appoints AMA medical student members to serve one-year terms on its MSS Standing Committees. These Committees support the GC in a number of ways, with responsibilities varying between Committees.

Applications (Word, 50KB) for the 2008-2009 MSS Standing Committees are due July 14, 2008.

Below are descriptions of each MSS Standing Committee:

Communication and Integration Committee (CIC) (formerly the MSS communications Task Force)
Responsibilities:  Integrating and directing two-way communications among the chapter, state, region, and national levels of the MSS.  CIC works with leaders at all levels of the MSS and with the AMA-MSS Staff to develop and refine chapter resources that will empower grassroots chapter activities.  Each CIC members will serve as a liaison to an MSS Standing committee (or two) to synergize efforts, advertise grassroots resources, and promote chapter involvement in the committees' initiatives.   CIC will disseminate comprehensive, yet concise summaries of MSS and AMA activities to empower students with actionable information so they can easily stay informed, involved, and an integral part of AMA's solutions at the local, state, regional, national levels.

Committee on Medical Education (CME)
Responsibilities:  Medical Education is a relatively new committee for the MSS. This committee will focus on medical education issues, including resident work hours, the clinical skills assessment exam, and medical education debt. In addition, they will work closely with the AMA medical students appointed to the Council on Medical Education, LCME, NBME, and NRMP, in order to remain informed on the AMA’s stance on various educational issues.

Committee on Medical Ethics
Responsibilities:  The goals of the Committee are to facilitate student discussion on interesting and relevant topics in medical ethics and to heighten awareness of all the opportunities the AMA Ethics Standards Group has to offer students.

Committee on Legislative and Advocacy (COLA)
Responsibilities: The Committee on Legislative and Advocacy (COLA) is responsible for creating and maintaining a network of MSS chapters 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.  The COLA will also utilize its grassroots network to distribute materials on legislative issues generated by the AMPAC SAB.

Committee on Long Range Planning  (COLRP)
Responsibilities: The Committee on Long Range Planning (COLRP) studies issues referred by the MSS Governing Council that relate to the future of the MSS, such as structure, function, and strategic planning.  In performing this function, COLRP will serve as a repository for MSS data and work products.

Committee on Public Health (PH)
Responsibilities:  Public Health is a new Committee for 2005-2006.  The objectives of the Committee are to review current public health issues in the literature, educate the MSS on public health topics, and particularly on how public health projects can be implemented at the MSS members’ respective institutions, organize and establish the AMA-MSS as a leader in public health, and more actively involve the MSS membership in public health initiatives.

Community Service Committee (CSC)
Responsibilities: The Community Service Committee (CSC) is dedicated to the development, promotion, and implementation of community service programs on the local, state, and national levels. The committee develops informational reports, programs, and resources to assist chapter and state officers in the organization and implementation of community service projects. This committee is fully responsible for the coordination of the National Service Project at the Interim and Annual Meetings.

Committee on Scientific Issues (CSI)
Responsibilities: The Committee on Scientific Issues (CSI) is dedicated to educating the MSS on scientific issues through the development of informational reports, programs, and resources on scientific topics and health policy issues. CSI serves as an informational resource to the MSS Assembly on resolutions of scientific interest. The committee also promotes research throughout the profession by offering students a forum to present their research findings.

Committee on Global Health and Policy (GHP)
Responsibilities: The Committee on Global Health and Policy (GHP) serves as a bridge to international health issues and assists medical students in finding opportunities in clinical practice and public health abroad. GHP continually updates a listing of international opportunities and resources.

HOD Coordination Committee (HCC)
Responsibilities: Previously a convention committee, HCC is now a standing committee whose members are appointed to a full, one-year term.  HCC supports the MSS Delegate and Alternate Delegate, as well as student members of their state delegations, in forming a common and well-informed position on resolutions and reports presented to the AMA House of Delegates.  The committee is also responsible for coordinating student testimony for HOD reference committees for all student-authored resolutions.  Committee members must be available throughout the AMA-MSS and AMA House of Delegates meetings.

Minority Issues Committee (MIC)
Responsibilities: The Minority Issues Committee (MIC) assists the MSS in addressing issues of concern to minority medical students. The committee also works to identify minority student needs and increase membership awareness and education on minority issues.

Committee on Membership Recruitment and Retention (MRR)
Responsibilities: The Membership Recruitment and Retention Committee (MRR) provides ideas for recruitment programming and strategies; develops recruitment projects and presentations; assists in the identification and coordination of MSS recruiters at each school; and develops recruitment and retention ideas for residency member recruitment. The MRR places increased emphasis on the recruitment of inactive chapters and the further recruitment of Osteopathic schools, and when appropriate communicating directly with AMA membership staff.