For Medical Students

Transforming med ed: How would you do it?

As part of a national discussion the AMA has initiated on narrowing the gap between medical training and the continuously changing health care landscape, medical students are encouraged to share their ideas of how to change medical education.

Numerous students already have offered their ideas since the AMA's Jan. 17 announcement that it will award $10 million to medical schools to fund bold innovations in medical education. Through this initiative, the AMA will partner with eight to 10 medical schools and support their efforts to fund innovations that align medical student training with the evolving needs of patients, communities and the changing health care environment.

Students may tweet ideas on the questions below @AmerMedicalAssn using the #ChangeMedEd hashtag, share them on the AMA Medical Student Section Facebook page or email them.

Detail "best practices" at your medical school and brainstorm new ideas on these topics:

• What are the activities, classes, educational tools, clerkships, medical education structural changes, etc., going on at your school that you think are innovative? Comment on Facebook.
• How can medical students prepare to meet the future needs of diverse patient populations with complex, costly problems in a new and continuously evolving health care system? Comment on Facebook.
• How can medical schools move from time-based (e.g., four-year curriculum) to competency-based (e.g., demonstrating achievement of milestones) education? Comment on Facebook.

This effort is part of the AMA's work to accelerate change in medical education, one of the AMA's strategic focus areas.

Read more about the AMA's Jan. 17 announcement in the Jan. 23 edition of AMA Wire and in a blog entry by AMA President Jeremy A. Lazarus, MD. Also, view American Medical News' coverage of the announcement.

Save the date for the June AMA-MSS meeting

This year's AMA Medical Student Section (MSS) Annual Assembly Meeting will take place June 13–15 at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. The AMA-MSS also will hold its annual Medical Specialty Showcase, where physicians from specialty societies represented in the AMA House of Delegates will provide comprehensive information on medical specialties before you enter the residency selection process.

The AMA-MSS welcomes your ideas for programming to be held at the meeting. Share yours in an online submission form by March 8.

In addition, students are needed to serve on various convention committees for the meeting. Applications are due March 29; learn more about the committees and apply today.

Several other deadlines for the meeting are approaching fast. Visit the Meetings and Events Web page and scroll down to "Upcoming Deadlines" for a full listing.

Mark your calendar for AMA-MSS region meetings

If you're looking for a way to get more involved in organized medicine, attending an AMA Medical Student Section (MSS) annual regional meeting is a great way to start.

The AMA-MSS comprises seven geographic regions, and each meets once a year for an educational and social program designed to promote regional cohesiveness, increase the section's visibility and promote individual members as leaders at the local, state, regional and national levels.

Region 7 and Region 4 meetings took place Jan. 11–12 in Syracuse, N.Y., and Jan. 25–27 in Columbia, S.C., respectively. The remainder of this year's region meetings will be held on the following dates:

• Region 5: Feb. 1–2 in Grand Rapids, Mich.
• Region 6: Feb. 8–10 in Washington, D.C.
• Region 3: Mar. 29–30 in Jackson, Miss.
• Region 2: April 5–6 in Kansas City, Mo.
• Region 1: April 19–21 in Denver, Colo.

Visit the regions Web page to learn more.

Enjoy savings on Kaplan Qbank and High Yield courses

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AMA members save 30 percent on Kaplan's new High Yield on-demand lecture course, an integrated review featuring page references to first aid. Also save on Kaplan's Qbank with 2,200 questions that fully integrate with a free app for the iPhone and Android phones. Receive immediate access and study Until Your Test (up to 12 months). Call (800) KAP-TEST or visit the website to take advantage of these special offers today.

Don't miss out on valuable resources for AMA members. Renew your membership or join the AMA today to begin receiving these benefits.