Clubs in Action: AMSA Club
By: Kristi Haisler
The American Medical Student Association (AMSA) is a student run organization for pre-medical students at UGA. AMSA was founded in 1950 with the intention to provide opportunities for students to gain experience in the medical field.
The UGA chapter of AMSA offers its members connections to community service opportunities as well as shadowing and volunteering opportunities. AMSA also educates its members on events transpiring around campus that are of interest to pre-medical students, such as Medical School Insider events and lectures by guest speakers on topics related to medicine. In the past, there have been several physicians who have been invited to speak to the members of AMSA. They have given members an overview of their chosen professions in medicine, as well as insight into the daily life of a physician in their field. Becoming a member of AMSA has perks for both upperclassmen and underclassmen alike. AMSA members receive discounts on Kaplan MCAT review courses, which greatly aid upperclassmen looking for a way to boost their MCAT scores. All underclassmen members can be paired with an upperclassman mentor who will be there to answer any and all questions the undergraduate student may have, including, “Which courses are useful to take to prepare for the MCAT?”, “What are the best MCAT study methods?” as well as questions about the process of applying to medical schools.
Students interested in joining AMSA are welcome to become a national member or a member of the UGA chapter. AMSA generally holds meetings every other Thursday night at 7:00 P.M. in room 404B in the Biology building.