Regional Delegate Responsibilities

The responsibilities of the Regional Delegates (RD) include:

• RDs are expected to attend both the Annual and the Interim AMA House of Delegates and stay for the entirety of the meeting. They are also encouraged to attend the MSS Assembly before each meeting if their schedule permits, in order to facilitate communication with the students in their region (please see below for tips on getting permission to miss classes/clerkship days).
• At the HOD, RDs are expected to attend the MSS Testimony Writing session just prior to the opening of the HOD and MSS Caucus meetings each evening, unless obligations to their state delegation prevent them from doing so.
• RDs should also attend one or more reference committees. If they are not appointed to a reference committee by their state delegation, the MSS Delegate and Alternate can help them find the reference committee where they will be most needed.
• RDs should read the HCC report prior to each House of Delegates. This report will contain background info, MSS policy, HOD policy, and MSS position on each resolution. It will also contain sample testimony for MSS resolutions.
• Though they are elected by the students of their region, RDs sit with their state delegation and should be accorded all the privileges and responsibilities of a member of that delegation. When permitted by the state, RDs are expected to attend all of their state caucuses during the HOD. Rarely, an obligation to their state delegation may conflict with an obligation to the MSS; in these cases, their primary duty lies with their state delegation.
• RDs are elected as representatives of the students in their region to the AMA House of Delegates. Like any elected representative, they are expected to keep in touch with their constituents, updating them on decisions made by the AMA House of Delegates as well as informing them of upcoming issues that will soon be debated. They should get feedback from the students in their region as to how they should vote on resolutions, especially those pertinent to medical students. Regional listserves are excellent means for communicating with the students in their region.
• RDs are expected to actively participate in the Regional Delegate listserve. This means reading all emails sent out by the MSS Delegate, MSS Alternate, and fellow RDs (discussion will be limited on the listserve in order to reduce the number of emails RDs receive each week). Throughout the year, the MSS Delegate and Alternate will send out surveys asking for specific information. Please reply to these by the given deadline.
• RDs are expected to actively participate in the recruitment and training of new leadership from their region. This means encouraging students to run for the RD position in December, aiding if possible in the RD training held at the Interim AMA MSS Assembly, and actively transitioning their new RD.

The responsibilities of the Regional Alternate Delegates (AD) include:

• ADs are expected to participate in all of the above activities including, but not limited to, attending the entire HOD meeting, testimony writing, at least one reference committee, their regional meeting, and all MSS caucuses.
• In cases in which the AD is from a different state than the RD, the AD is expected to attend all state caucuses with their own state (not that of the RD).
• ADs should be prepared to step in for RDs at any time during the HOD session. When the RD is absent, the AD is expected to sit with their own state delegation (not that of the RD).

Sample Timeline (2003 Interim Meeting)

Tips for Getting Time Off

Most medical schools want to support professional development of their students, and understand that this includes not only classes, but also being involved in professional activities such as those of the AMA. Taking multiple days off to attend an HOD meeting, especially during 3^rd year, often can be difficult. Try following these tips though, and it will make your life far easier:

1. Contact the instructor of the classes you will be missing or director of the clerkship you will be on at least a few months before the meeting. Even if you have not yet started the clerkship or the particular class and have not met the instructor or clerkship director, it is still better to contact them months in advance of the meeting.
2. When you contact them, be as polite as possible. Let them know that you serve as a Delegate to the American Medical Association and give them the specific days of the class or clerkship that you will have to miss in order to attend the AMA House of Delegates. Explain the important of the meeting if the instructor or clerkship director is not familiar with the AMA.
3. It will often help if you offer to make up missed work, especially with a clerkship. For instance, if you will be missing a call night you can offer to make it up earlier in the clerkship. If you will be missing a quiz or a test, you can offer to take it a few days earlier.
4. For third year students, after you have received permission, make sure to let the clerkship director’s administrative assistant (who actually handles more of the day to day functions of running the student clerkship) know about it. You can let him or her know by copying them in all emails you send to the clerkship director.
5. When you actually start the clerkship, politely remind the clerkship director on the first day (at your orientation, for instance) of the specific days you will be missing later in the clerkship.
6. If you have questions or difficulties, please don’t hesitate to contact your MSS Delegate or Alternate. If your instructor/clerkship director is hesitant to give you the time off, we can get a letter sent to them from the AMA explaining why you are needed at the HOD.