Student Organizations

The Multicultural Resource Center advises and provides support to a number of student organization in the School of Medicine.

Student National Medical Association (SNMA)

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. The Duke chapter of the SNMA is committed to increasing the pipeline of students of color who consider and prepare for medical and scientific careers in addition to giving back to communities of color in the Durham area. Advocacy and healthcare education are also central to SNMA’s mission. Our community mentoring programs provide science appreciation and education, mentoring, and academic enrichment to elementary, junior high school, high school and college students interested in pursuing health-related careers to assure the pipeline to medicine is supported at all levels. Our SNMA chapter has several ongoing projects that reflect our mission.

Current Programs:

Minority Association of Pre-medical Students (MAPS)
Health Professions Recruitment and Exposure Program (HPREP)
Youth Science Enrichment Program (YSEP)
Saturday health clinics in underserved neighborhoods
Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Banquet and Scholarship
Informational sessions for first year medical students

For more information, please visit: https://sites.duke.edu/dukesnma

Asian Pacific American Medical Students Association (APAMSA)

The Asian Pacific American Medical Students Association (APAMSA) is a national organization of medical and pre-medical students committed to addressing the unique health challenges of Asian and Pacific Islander American (APIA) communities. APAMSA serves as a forum for student leaders to engage these health issues and develop initiatives and projects addressing those needs. The local, regional, and national activities of APAMSA aim to promote the health of

the APIA community and help healthcare workers understand how to care for APIA patients in a culturally sensitive manner. Finally, APAMSA provides an important venue for medical students to meet, exchange experiences, and develop personally and professionally through leadership and service.

The Duke chapter of the national Asian-Pacific American Medical Students Association (APAMSA) is a student-run organization dedicated to learning about, promoting awareness of, and improving Asian-American health issues. Since 2005, the Duke APAMSA chapter has been engaged in community outreach including holding service activities such as bone marrow registry drives, health screenings, and foreign-language health education as well as pursuing other avenues of cultural discovery such as providing Chinese-language training to medical students and, perhaps most importantly, sampling the best Asian restaurants in the Triangle!

For more information, please visit: http://www.apamsa.org/

Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA)

The Latino Medical Student Association unites and empowers medical students through service, mentorship and education to advocate for the health of the Latino community. Here at Duke School of Medicine, LMSA has succeeded in creating numerous Spanish interviewing sessions where all Duke Med students can practice their Spanish speaking skills in a medical interview setting; volunteered at many local health fairs; mentored pre-medical students; and brought speakers on topics such as diabetes in the Latino community or migrant worker health. In addition to creating opportunities for Duke Med students, LMSA is dedicated to create lasting bonds with local organizations such as El Centro Hispano to serve the local Latino community.

For more information, please visit: http://lmsa.net/

DukeMed Pride

DukeMed Pride is a student-led group consisting of LGBTQA and allied students within the Duke University School of Medicine. DukeMed Pride works to address the healthcare issues of sexual and gender diverse peoples with a cohesive and holistic approach. Our mission is to provide a supportive environment for LGBTQA students and their allies. We further work to promote the visibility of the LGBTQA community within the School of Medicine and the Duke University Health System (DUHS), and host events that allow our peers to learn about the healthcare of LGBTQA patients.

We strive to:

Create a forum for discussion of LGBTQ issues related to the field of medicine including: LGBTQ health, employment, equality in the work place, patient care, communication with colleagues and peers, cultural competence, social issues, and support.
Create, promote, and integrate educational events and resources.
Establish allies within the Duke University School of Medicine and School of Nursing faculty.
Establish outreach and awareness regarding LGBTQ issues here and abroad.
Foster and promote professional and social networking relationships amongst peers and colleagues throughout the field of medicine.
Create a voice for those within the community as well as those who support the community.

For more information, please visit http://sites.duke.edu/dukemedpride/ or write to dukemedprideinfo@Duke.edu. Feel free to contact DukeMed Pride President Will Pohlman will.pohlman@duke.edu with any questions you may have about the organization or LGBTQ life at Duke or in Durham.

Duke Med First Generation Low Income (FGLI)

Duke FGLI is a chapter of the national organization, National First Generation and Low Income in Medicine Association (FGLIMed) https://www.fglimed.org/.

The organization’s goals are:

Promote visibility, well-being, and community among medical students who are first-generation college graduates and/or from low-income backgrounds
Develop, strengthen, and empower a national network of students, faculty, and medical schools committed to the success of FGLI medical trainees and physicians
Share and promote strategies to amplify recruitment, retention, and support of FGLI trainees in medicine
Articulate the strengths and challenges unique to FGLI trainees, and propose sustainable, creative solutions to maximize FGLI potential

For more information, please contact Duke Med President: Kayla Thompson at kayla.thompson@duke.edu.

Duke Med for Social Justice

Duke Med for Social Justice advocates for social justice and racial equity within the Durham and Duke communities through action, education, and dialogue.
We are a group of Duke Med students committed to advancing equity by:

organizing against structural inequalities that harm people’s social, physical, and mental well-being.
teaching ourselves, our classmates, and the larger Duke community about health disparities and social injustices.
promoting dialogue regarding these issues and providing a platform to hold Duke School of Medicine/Duke University accountable for creating an inclusive community for all.

For more information please visit: https://sites.duke.edu/dukemedforsocialjustice

South Asian Medical Student Association (SAMoSA)

For additional information, contact Co-President: Megha Gupta at megha.gupta@duke.edu or Co-President: Vishal Venkatraman at vishal.venkatramanat@duke.edu