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OSR Chair's Update

AAMC-OSR Administrative Board Update

June 2008

Regional Meeting Recap
Thank you to everyone who attended a GSA/MAS/OSR Regional Meetings. Your ideas and feedback are the OSR's greatest resource. The topics raised at these meetings will be discussed at the June Administrative Board and carried forward as appropriate. Also, congratulations to the newly elected regional chairs and regional delegates.

AAMC Governance Review
The AAMC is in the process of a governance review that commenced soon after the publication of the Strategic Thinking and Positioning document last fall. In February, a Town Hall Meeting was held to present the proposed model to the Administrative Boards of the Councils and Organizations and representatives of the various Professional Development Groups within the AAMC. The proposal calls for the creation of a Board of Directors with 17 members. Board positions would include a mix of ex officio roles and at-large members selected based on their skills, experience, and expertise. In its current form, the proposal includes one student, one resident, and one member of the public on the Board. The model has been discussed by the constituencies of the AAMC, including students, at their spring meetings. The feedback will be incorporated into a revised proposal that will be re-examined by the Executive Council in June. Final action will likely be taken at the 2008 Annual Meeting by the AAMC Assembly, in which the OSR is represented by its twelve administrative board members.

OSR Online Community
The OSR Online Community (Blackboard) received a facelift based on suggestions received from Administrative Board members and the OSR at large. It has been streamlined to highlight important content; please take a few minutes to sign on and check out the changes. Current content includes discussions sparked by regional meeting content, project information from different committees, profiles of OSR reps, and more. This tool can improve our ability as a national OSR to communicate and coordinate efforts, but this potential cannot be realized without the consistent efforts of OSR representatives. Please take the time to log in, participate in online discussions, update your profile, upload a photo, and explore the other tools available. The Administrative Board will review the content and format of the site again at its June meeting, so contact any board member with feedback. For assistance logging in, email Denine Hales.

Input toward USMLE Comprehensive Review
The Committee to Evaluate the USMLE Program (CEUP)'s recommendations will be made public in the near future. The major themes include a shift to a two-gateway model with integration of basic science with clinical sciences throughout the exam components and redesign of the exams to better reflect the range of competencies important to medical practice. The OSR offers constructive feedback to the NBME on all steps of the current USMLE series and regularly communicates with the NBME via the OSR liaison. In addition, Peter Ragusa from the AMA-MSS serves as the student member to CEUP and represents medical students at large during these discussions. Student leaders from AAMC-OSR, AMA-MSS, and AMSA confer regularly during this process to ensure a conduit for student input during this process. Please contact OSR Chair Diane Reis with any questions or feedback and look for upcoming updates.

ACGME US Residency Program Match Data
The OSR Ad Board continues to explore the collection and communication of comprehensive data on ACGME U.S. residencies. Theoretically, the data would be akin to the Medical School Admissions Requirements (MSAR) book used by medical school applicants, but would likely be presented in an electronic database format. A document articulating the principles of gathering program-specific match data has been produced, vetted through the GSA Steering Committee, and was affirmed by the Council of Deans in February 2007. In November, this document was shared with the Organization of Program Directors Associations (OPDA), which has encouraged programs to make all suggested information available on their websites. Discussions between the AAMC and other stakeholders have also begun. In addition, OSR Immediate Past Chair Jim Littlejohn will present the principles articulated in the document at a Student Affairs Officers Professional Development Conference in June.

Visiting Student Application Service (VSAS)
VSAS is a new AAMC application intended to streamline the process of applying for "away" electives typically taken in the 4th year of medical school. The ten school pilot was launched on April 1st for schools and April 15th for students. The service is a web-based system with three interfaces: students (applying for electives), "home" schools (supporting those applications by verifying data), and "host" schools (receiving the applications). Two OSR liaisons are serving on the constituent advisory committee. More>>

Cost of Medical School Education
The AAMC has updated its 2004 report, "Medical School Tuition and Young Physician Indebtedness". This information was disconcerting to many in the academic medical community and three years later, we continue to witness troubling trends in the cost of medical education that warrant further investigation into how best to approach this problem. GSA-COFSA (Committee on Student Financial Assistance) and AAMC Student Financial Services are developing FIRST (Financial Information, Resources, Services, and Tools), an internet portal that will include information appropriate to the different stages of the continuum of medical education tailored to the individual. While the tools are still being developed, early resources are available. More>>

Diversity Recruitment Efforts
The 2008 Annual Meeting program will include a repeat of the meet and greet session held in 2007 by OSR and the GSA-Minority Affairs Section in the AAMC Division of Diversity Policy and Programs. The session seeks to promote communication between medical students and high school and college students from backgrounds underrepresented in medicine who have an interest in medical school. In addition, the OSR Ad Board has provided feedback on the development of AspiringDocs.org and the revamping of the portion of the AAMC web site dedicated to pre-medical students and designed to offer them helpful information on how to prepare for a career in medicine.

AAMC Strategic Thinking and Positioning Process
Over the past year, the AAMC has engaged in a comprehensive strategic thinking and positioning process as it continues to address the salient topics of academic medicine and health care in the years to come. As a part of this process, the various constituents and stakeholders in the AAMC, including the OSR, have provided input on various drafts. In September, the AAMC Executive Council approved the new mission and vision statements for the AAMC as well as nine strategic priorities that will guide the association's efforts over the next two to seven years. Read "Learn, Serve, Lead" (PDF, 13 pages)

GLBT "Effective Practices"
Based on GSA and OSR surveys regarding GLBT issues in medical education, recommendations from the GSA and OSR regarding institutional programs and educational activities in the areas of human sexuality, sexual orientation, and gender identity were approved and sent to member schools last year. This document reflects the need for institutions to follow good educational practices, to create respectful learning environments, and to graduate students who provide good patient care to a diverse patient population. Read recommendations (PDF, 2 pages) Also, read the resource of "effective practices."

Charting Outcomes in the Match Document
The OSR Ad Board has put forth considerable effort in deliberating and soliciting feedback from medical students on the 2006 NRMP and AAMC report, "Charting Outcomes in the Match." (PDF, 139 pages) The latest edition has been released.

Guidelines for Use of Medical Interpreter Services
The Organization of Student Representatives has developed a resource for medical students who need additional guidance in the use of a medical interpreter during interactions with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) patients. Students can use the medical interpreter card during encounters with LEP patients as a basic reference for interpreter options and their appropriate use. See Guidelines for Use of Medical Interpreter Services >>

Additional Updates on the activities and projects of the OSR Administrative Board are available via the OSR Web site. For more information about the OSR, please contact Ally Anderson, Manager, Student and Community Service Programs.

Diane C. Reis
OSR Chair
University of Wisconsin SOM and Public Health
dcreis@wisc.edu

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