ASU's American Medical Student Association

Becoming an AMSA Member

Become a national member of AMSA. To register, visit www.amsa.org/member. As a national member, you will receive many amazing discounts and membership perks (see AMSA Member Benefits). National membership is required to obtain local ASU AMSA membership.

Become a local (ASU) member of AMSA. Simply fill out a Member Application Form at any AMSA meeting. We request a $25 membership donation, which will help finance the countless events and projects held throughout the semester. In return, you will receive a unique 2008-2009 ASU AMSA T-shirt and a membership card. The membership card is our way of keeping track of your participation.

Participate in ASU AMSA events. Participation will be measured by stamping your membership card. For every meeting you attend, you will be awarded one stamp. For every community service project or volunteer event you attend, you will be awarded two stamps. Active membership is obtained after receiving five stamps (see AMSA Member Benefits for more information).

Educational Discounts. Active members receive 10% off tutoring costs at Matrix Education and $200 off any prep course at Kaplan and Princeton Review locations. To receive these discounts, simply produce your stamped membership card.

Chapter Scholarships. We award scholarships throughout the year for active members who have contributed to the advancement of AMSA and/or ASU students. Get involved to receive information about the next application cycle.

AMSA Library/Medical School Database. Members have access to information, DVD's, applications, and contacts from medical schools gathered from ASU chapter officers at the AMSA National Convention. Dozens of medically-related books are also available to members.

AMSA National Convention. The ASU chapter sponsors any active member for the annual AMSA National Convention by paying their hotel accommodations and purchasing group-rate airfare. Members presenting research at the convention will have their registration fee paid as well.

Free Perks. The ASU chapter hosts multiple meetings and social events throughout the year for local AMSA members. Free food and refreshments are provided at every meeting. Members also receive discounts on AMSA scrubs.

Officer Availability. Local AMSA officers are always available to help you. The website is continuously updated with the latest news and events. Members can also receive information about ASU AMSA through e-mail or Facebook.

The Medical School Preparation Program (MSP). MSP programs are specifically designed for pre-medical students. The program include personal statement classes, mock interviews, applications, practice MCAT's, strategy sessions, etc. MSP programs are provided by ASU AMSA, along with the ASU Pre-health Professions Office, The Princeton Review, Kaplan, and Matrix Education.

The Student Educational Assistance Program (SEA). ASU chapter officers organize study groups in various pre-health courses for AMSA members, conducting tutoring sessions and providing free food. At the beginning of each semester, members participate in the chapter Textbook Trade program to reduce textbook fees.

The Action Committee Advocacy Program (ACA). The ACA program encourages local AMSA members to participate in discussions about the social and political components of healthcare. AMSA has over 20 different Action Committees (AC) and Interest Groups (IG) that address these issues, headed by an Action Committee Coordinator. The chapter advocacy programs, such as the Fight Against Obesity program, address medical education and are funded by annual grants. To become a chapter representative for such groups, submit an officer application form to ASU.AMSA@gmail.com. Visit www.amsa.org for more information.

The Legislative Activism Program (LAP). AMSA has a long history of political activism in Washington, D.C. The ASU chapter has a Legislative Representative, and educates its members about AMSA’s legislative activism, allowing them to participate in healthcare politics. A member of the National AMSA Universal Health Care (UHC) Task Force is also the ASU chapter Representative for Health Policy. The chapter also sponsors trips for members to work on election campaigns and lobby Congress themselves. Visit http://www.amsa.org/legislativecenter/ for more information.

The Social Embeddedness Program. The ASU AMSA chapter is constantly engaged with local healthcare communities. It participates in service projects like GOHLS, clinical partnerships like the AMSA-ICP & LFC programs, and social commitments like the NDMS Exercise.

The Assertiveness in Clinical Practice Program (ACP). The ACP program is designed to provide interactive workshops and clinical experience for pre-health students. The chapter hosts “hands-on” seminars in medical education throughout the year such as suturing clinics, dissection labs, phlebotomy classes, etc. Members also shadow ASU chapter officers in their clinical settings like operating rooms and tissue procurement facilities.

The Chapter Officer Mentorship Program (COM). The COM program involves collaboration between the ASU chapter and other AMSA chapters. Pre-health students are given tours at various medical schools. Midwestern University AZCOM AMSA members become mentors for ASU AMSA members. Members also can shadow ASU chapter officers in their clinical settings. New officers are elected at the beginning of each year and are mentored by current officers. To become an ASU chapter officer, submit an officer application form to ASU.AMSA@gmail.com.

The Internships in Clinical Practice Program (ICP). The AMSA-ICP program provides undergraduate and graduate students with an interdisciplinary approach to clinical research. It serves as premedical/pre-health experience relating to students’ professional goals as they prepare for higher education in medicine/medical research.

The National Disaster Medical System Exercise (NDMS): The ASU chapter participates in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's National Disaster Medical System Exercise. This semiannual event tests the medical preparedness of Luke Air Force Base, the Emergency Response Systems (police, paramedics, etc.), and many Maricopa County hospitals during a mass casualty scenario. AMSA members gain emergency skills and clinical experience by acting as mock disaster patients and staging, moulaging, and triaging other patients.

The Fight Against Obesity Program (FAO). The FAO program involves physicians specializing in obesity health care speaking about the social and clinical effects of obesity. The chapter received a grant and formed the Grade-school Obesity vs. Healthy Lifestyle Series (GOHLS) Program. Members educate children on the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle by conducting chemistry experiments about fat absorption, leading them in exercises, and teaching them to eat healthfully by serving balanced lunches.

The Stuffed Animal Invasion Project (SAI). ASU AMSA members deliver hundreds of donated stuffed animals and toys to disadvantaged children hospitalized over the holidays. Members are educated on age-specific approaches to pediatric health care by a pediatric charge nurse and spend time with the patients’ families. The SAI project to promote humanistic healing during a difficult time of hospitalization. In 2007, it was selected for the Community Service Project of the Year Contest at the AMSA National Convention.

The Health Care Coalition Program (HCC). The ASU chapter of AMSA is a founding organization of the Arizona State University HCC program. The HCC provides a focal point of information, resource sharing, intercommunication, and collaboration for students interested in healthcare. For more information about the HCC and its participating organizations, visit the Links and FAQs tab on the website.