Return to Front PageVOLUME 6, NUMBER 4

Group on Student Affairs-Minority Affairs Section

by Meredith Moller

The AAMC's 12 professional development groups are the point of entry for many AAMC constituents. Each month this year, the AAMC Reporter will describe a group's activities.

While the ranks of minority students and physicians have grown significantly over past decades, the number of minorities practicing medicine still does not reflect the United States' diverse population.

Increasing the representation of minorities in medicine is the goal of the AAMC's Group on Student Affairs-Minority Affairs Section. Composed of representatives appointed by med-ical school deans, the GSA-MAS works on a wide range of issues related to minorities in medical education, including recruitment, academic support, counseling, career advice, and faculty development.

"Our members often come with a diverse set of skills and knowledge," explains Lily May Johnson, staff associate in the AAMC's Division of Community and Minority Programs, who lends support to the GSA-MAS. "They cover all areas of the medical education spectrum, from admissions and recruitment to career planning and graduation; these often-called-upon members of the medical community do it all."

Edward Christian, Ph.D., assistant dean for student affairs at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University and chair of the GSA-MAS, agrees. "Minority affairs officers bring a wealth of experience to their institutions. They organize a number of programs and services that help not only minority students but non- minority students as well."

Through GSA-MAS, these minority affairs officers contributed to the publication of "Minority Graduates of U.S. Medical Schools: Trends, 1950-1998" in September 2000. The report, which compiles information from the AAMC's Minority Physician Database and was supported by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trusts, is unique in the extent to which it tracks the growth of minority physicians nationwide.

The GSA-MAS also has a hand in the publication of "Minority Student Opportunities in U.S. Medical Schools" (MSOUSMS). The book, which is released every other year, provides students and academic counselors with descriptions of programs designed for minorities who want to pursue careers in medicine.

Aside from its publications, the GSA-MAS sponsors several recruitment fairs, including one at the AAMC's Annual Meeting, for both high school and college students, and has recently begun to sponsor recruitment fairs for minority medical students looking for residency positions.

The group also holds several professional development seminars for minority affairs representatives throughout the year. The next seminar, jointly sponsored with the AAMC Committee on Student Affairs, will be held Feb. 14-18, 2001, in Vancouver, Canada.

Information; Lily May Johnson, (202) 828-0573

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