Student National Medical Association

The Student National Medical Association (SNMA)is the nation's oldest and largest student organization focused on the needs and concerns of medical students of color. Membership includes over 6,000 medical students, pre-medical students, residents and physicians. Established in 1964 by medical students from Howard University and Meharry medical schools, the SNMA boasts over 40 years of service to underserved communities and medical students.

SNMA chapters based at allopathic and osteopathic medical schools throughout the nation and at some colleges implement our programs and activities locally. SNMA programs are designed to serve the health needs of underserved communities and communities of color. In addition, SNMA is dedicated both to ensuring that medical education and services are culturally sensitive to the needs of diverse populations and to increasing the number of African-American, Latino, and other students of color and entering and completing medical school.

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History

The Student National Medical Association (SNMA) was founded in 1964 as a sub-division of the National Medical Association (NMA), largely through the effort and support of W. Montague Cobb, MD, an NMA member (and, later, NMA President), who spearheaded the initiative to include medical students in the association's ranks. Even then, the NMA recognized the need to begin giving active support of medical students and encouraging them in pursuing careers as physicians; they were looking, too, to build their own roster of members and organizational strength. The SNMA's founding chapters were Meharry Medical College and Howard University College of Medicine. Due to the loss in the 1980s of the organization's chronological papers, little is known about SNMA's formal development throughout those early years. It may be presumed that the most effort was devoted to organizing students in the different states, chartering the first student chapters, and building its management structure within the NMA. There is little documentation to show when each medical student chapter was chartered; it is known that SNMA has conducted an annual convention every year since its inception.

By 1970, SNMA had become a strong enough network, with sufficient leadership capability and chapter strength, to consider becoming an independent organization. Sentiment among the medical student leaders was that the students wanted to be able to set their own programmatic agenda, legislate and govern their own funds (obtained through the collection of membership dues and other sources), and to determine their own administrative priorities, which were apparently—and understandably—different from those of the parent organization, whose focus was more aligned to the interests and concerns of practicing medical professionals.

In 1971, having formed its original Constitution and By-Laws, the SNMA became an independent corporation, filing at the same time for IRS 501(c)3 non-profit status. SNMA, Inc. was born. Early achievements included the publication of the association's first "signature" publication, The Black Bag, and the introduction of regular regional conventions. "Affirmative Action" legislation was in place everywhere, with increased minority enrollments rising at schools throughout the country and on most medical school campuses. SNMA's network grew steadily.

Throughout the 1980s, as SNMA continued to build, new chapters were added and old ones were strengthened. SNMA members at the local level focused especially in "getting the word out", promoting the themes of mutual support for medical students of color in its various locations and pressing for the transformation of medical teaching, such that medical instruction received by all students was culturally sensitive to the needs of the nation's diverse and varied populations. In the mid-to-late ‘80s, SNMA leadership began to bring stronger focus to its community service efforts, fulfilling the organization's mission not only to nurture and support the academic enrichment of it's medical student members, but also to serve communities in a very real and pro-active way. Still focused on student enrichment, SNMA's National Protocols were introduced as a template for local chapters to follow in serving the communities in which they also worked as students. Intending to both "pipeline" youth into the fields of medicine and scientific research, while also addressing specific health care concerns, SNMA's National Protocols have continued to be the backbone of the organization's identity, strength, and character. In effect for over 15 years, the leading National Protocols include: MAPS, YSEP, HPREP, Sexual Health Awareness, and Smoking Cessation. Some protocols have served as the basis for significant philanthropic support, professional alliances and partnerships, and—most recently, as with the introduction in 2000 of the HIP Corps Program—have formed the foundation for federally funded programs having a national scope. SNMA is now "on the map".

In the first twenty-five years, there was no permanent staff and the students themselves conducted much of the work of the organization, under the direction of the medical student Board of Directors. The 1990s saw a tremendous increase in membership growth, as well as nationwide interest and participation in the Annual Medical Education Conference and National Convention. Meeting the needs of this increased volume of activity, SNMA employed its first permanent full-time staff members. By 1995, the staff complement totaled three personnel, with auxiliary services procured from subcontractors and other outside service providers. With increased membership and the growing popularity and financial success of the annual meeting both providing sufficient revenue annually, the organization was now assured of meeting its business obligations. Programmatic initiatives were complemented during these years by the introduction of several major "business plans", which were adopted by the House of Delegates, the most recent, in 1999, being the "30-Year Business Plan".

The Student National Medical Foundation was founded in 1994, but it failed to realize its organizational objectives and was later dissolved, but talk in recent years has suggested the revival of this organizational support entity. Other organizational developments in the 90's included several re-starts of the Journal of the Student National Medical Association (a quarterly periodical), publication and distribution of the SNMA News, publication of the premier issue of the SNMA Keepsake Journal (initially through federal funding, now through another publisher's private ownership) revised publication and copyright of So You Want To Be A Doctor (a publication aimed at pre-health students), and the establishment of a web site on the Internet. SNMA also conducted its first "International Mission", traveling to Jamaica, West Indies, in 1999. SNMA was solid.

The turn of the century—the 2000 millennium—represented a giant leap forward for the SNMA. In 2000, the organization obtained its first significant federal contract. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded a contract to SNMA to conduct HIV/AID intervention and prevention training through the SNMA-conceived HIP Corps program. HIP Corps was a unique concept, an outgrowth of SNMA's Sexual Health Awareness protocol wherein SNMA medical student members serve as both agents and trainers of other students to conduct and deliver information to the community regarding HIV and AIDS, with a focus that is particularly culturally sensitive to the populations addressed. Other smaller contracts and grants followed and continue to be pursued. The needs for more physical space and staff necessitated the acquisition of a small office building in Washington, D.C., while laudatory for the organization's growth, have also meant significantly increased responsibility for SNMA student leaders and the staff, and requiring more complex management.

The forecast, then, for the coming years in the 2000s decades will most likely include the transformation away from the board-based management style, to increased reliance on the services of competent professional personnel and specialized service providers. With the burgeoning increase of new business technologies, there will evolve an increased dependency on consistent administration emanating from the National Headquarters, including the presence of full-time professional staff to support the association's mission and related projects. New policies and procedural guidelines are anticipated for satisfactorily accommodating development, and for assuring continued long-life and sustained growth of the organization. Programmatically, the legislative demise at the national level of Affirmative Action incentives will demand from SNMA's student leaders innovative ways of reaching and motivating underserved students, and encouraging them to our ranks. As with change anywhere, at any time, this transition to new and creative program strategies (as well as the turn toward more sophisticated management and administration practices) will take some time, requiring diligence and persistent attention on the part of SNMA's corporate leaders and staff, as departures from older ways of carrying-out the organization's business affairs are introduced. What will remain constant and sure will be policy governance by and for the medical students; this is the SNMA

Mission

Student National Medical Association (SNMA) is committed to supporting current and future underrepresented minority medical students, addressing the needs of underserved communities, and increasing the number of clinically excellent, culturally competent and socially conscious physicians.

Organizational Structure

HOUSE OF DELEGATES

SNMA is a student-governed organization with over 5000 members around the country and the Caribbean. The ultimate governing body of SNMA is the House of Delegates (HOD), which is made up of all Active SNMA members. The HOD convenes annually at the SNMA National Convention, held in conjunction with the Annual Medical Education Conference, to make important decisions about the organization’s direction and declarations regarding health policy and the state of health care. The Speaker of the House, assisted by the Parliamentarian, presides over the HOD.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Board of Directors (BOD) is a smaller group of individuals made up of HOD-elected officers and appointed committee members. The BOD is made up of the following national officers: Chairperson of the Board of Directors, President, President-Elect, Vice President, Pre-medical Board Member, Treasurer, Secretary, Parliamentarian, Speaker of the House, ten Regional Directors, four Professional Board Members, Committee Chairs, the Executive Director, and Emeritus members. The BOD meets quarterly to make business and policy decisions in accordance with the SNMA Constitution and Bylaws during the period that the HOD is not in session. The presiding officer is the Chairperson of the BOD. The BOD reports its actions over the course of the year and puts forth mandated items for HOD-approval at the National Convention.

STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE

The Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) is made up of the Executive Committee, the Executive Director, and Emeriti. The SPC meets at least twice a year to discuss the corporate direction and projection for SNMA. The SPC is responsible for updating the SNMA Strategic Plan every three years and reassessing the 30-year business plan. NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS SNMA’s National Headquarters (HQ) is located in Washington, DC. The HQ staff is made up of: Executive Director, Director of Operations, Membership and Chapter Services Coordinator, Operations Assistant, Programming staff, and a volunteer Executive-on-Loan. The Executive Director is responsible for the daily operations of SNMA National Headquarters and works closely with the Chairperson of the Board of Directors.

REGIONS

SNMA is made up of 10 regions around the country. Each region is overseen by a Regional Director elected by the respective region. A regional Boards is composed mainly of the following elected regional officers: Regional Director, Assistant Regional Director, Pre-medical Liaison, Secretary, Treasurer, and Committee Chairs (corresponding to national committees). Each region hosts an annual Regional Conference at which a regional meeting is held. Each region has its own Constitution and Bylaws, which must be held in accordance with and not in violation of the Constitution and Bylaws of the national SNMA.

REGIONS & STATES

Region I: California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Montana, Utah, Idaho, Hawaii, Alaska

Region II: Nebraska, Wyoming, South Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, North Dakota, Minnesota, Kansas

Region III: Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana

Region IV: Georgia, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and the Caribbean

Region V: Ohio, Indiana, Michigan

Region VI: District of Columbia, Maryland, Virginia

Region VII: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island

Region VIII: Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware

Region IX: New Jersey, New York

Region X: Kentucky, Tennessee

CHAPTERS

Over 130 SNMA chapters can be found at medical schools around the nation, while over 70 undergraduate institutions hold Minority Association of Pre-medical Students (MAPS) chapters. Official SNMA and MAPS chapters are recognized by national SNMA by yearly submission of chapter renewal forms. Active and Associate members are national dues-paying members of SNMA and are not required to be part of a chapter. Like regions, chapters are also governed independently, but must in accordance with the national Constitution and Bylaws.

National Leadership and Staff

National Board of Directors
Chairperson of the Board of Directors - Brooke Mobley, MBA
National President - C. Rory Goodwin
National President-Elect - Lisa Green
National Vice-President - Kasey Gildersleeve
National Treasurer - Maya Matheny
National Secretary - Janell Hill

Staff
Executive Director - Wallace Davenport II, JD, EdD
Director of Conference Services - Annette McLane
Manager for Publications and Marketing - Melanie Sollid
Executive Assistant and Interim Coordinator for Member Services - Tracy Rowe
Administrative Support - Ciarra Hearn
Executive on Loan - George Dines, Sr., MA, CHSM