FAQs

Frequently asked questions

QWhat is your understanding of the responsibilities of the position(s) and/or committee(s) for which you are interested?

A The role of National President-Elect (NPE) is designed to provide a nurturing learning experience, allowing the NPE to closely observe the National President and gain firsthand insight into their responsibilities. Throughout this term, the NPE undertakes several significant duties, including crafting their Executive Agenda, leading the elections committee, participating as a member of the Board of Directors, and contributing as a non-voting member of the executive committee.

Executive Agenda Development

During the NPE's tenure, it is essential for them to develop their Executive Agenda, which addresses the current needs of the organization comprehensively. Collaborating with all members of the Board of Directors (BOD) is pivotal to ensure that all aspects of the organization are adequately addressed. The NPE will present their Executive Agenda at the January NLI Board of Directors meeting, subject to a vote by the House of Delegates (HOD) during AMEC.

Board of Directors

The NPE serves as a member of the Board of Directors, attending quarterly meetings held during NLI and AMEC. Additionally, attendance at interim business meetings is required if urgent matters concerning the organization arise.

Elections Committee Chair

In the capacity of the Elections Committee Chair, the NPE is responsible for ensuring that all application materials are easily accessible and widely distributed to any registered member interested in running for the Board of Directors. The first half of the year is dedicated to encouraging members to pursue leadership roles within the BOD. The NPE oversees all logistical aspects of the elections process, including candidate approval and briefings. Coordination with the Speaker of the House and Elections Committee is necessary to facilitate a smooth voting process for the HOD. Furthermore, the NPE is responsible for appointing individuals to various BOD positions for their administration.

Executive Committee (EC)

During monthly EC meetings, the NPE participates as a non-voting member of the BOD. They are tasked with documenting meeting minutes and ensuring proper circulation to the Board of Directors through the National Secretary.

NMA Student Trustee

Every alternate year, the incumbent NPE serves a two-year term as a Trustee to the National Medical Association. While not serving as Student Trustee during the 62nd Administration, if elected, I would engage with National President-Elect McPhatter to stay informed about current NMA initiatives. Lastly, I would represent SNMA as the NMA W. Montague Cobb Institute Representative.

National Leadership Institutes

The current NPE is responsible for securing National Leadership Institute locations. If elected, I look forward to working closely with the Executive Committee and the Internal Affairs Chair to secure three locations for the following year.

QIf elected or appointed, what goals do you hope to accomplish?

A As NPE, my aim is to uphold the admirable initiatives of National President Mize while supporting and advancing the executive agenda of National President-Elect McPhatter. Simultaneously, I am committed to developing my own executive agenda, infused with compassion and a deep understanding of our organization's needs.

In my role as Chair of the Elections Committee, I see it as vital to emphasize the significance of leadership growth both regionally and nationally. I intend to achieve this by actively engaging with our members during RMECs, fostering dialogue, and encouraging participation.

Building upon my current responsibilities as the National Pre-Medical Board Member and Community Service Co-Chair, I have strived to understand the specific needs of our pre-medical members. Through careful assessment and listening, I have ensured that our programming directly addresses these needs. Moving forward, I am dedicated to continuing this inclusive approach, seeking feedback from our Board of Directors and engaging with Chapter President Town Halls to gauge the pulse of our organization.

Furthermore, my extensive experience serving on the board of directors and leadership roles on five different national committees have provided me with valuable insights into the intricate planning involved in events such as AMEC and NLI. During my tenure as NPE, I aspire to identify a diverse array of potential NLI host chapters and initiate preliminary planning for AMEC. While recognizing the ambitious nature of these goals, I am committed to working collaboratively with our National President, National Convention Planning Co-Chairs, and contributing National Committee Co-Chairs to bring them to fruition.

If entrusted with the honor of serving as the 62nd National President, I will lead our administration with dedication and integrity. I envision organizing our 62nd Annual Medical Education Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I currently reside and attend medical school. Further details of my aspirations are outlined in section four of my proposal.

QDescribe any chapter, regional, or national experience that you have had with the SNMA. Also include any non-SNMA experience related to your position.

A I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve the SNMA and MAPS in various leadership capacities on the National, Regional, and Chapter Levels since 2013.

In my role as the Community Service Co-Chair, I dedicated myself to overseeing the programmatic aspects of AstraZeneca's Accelerate Change Together (ACT) on Health Equity grant, which stands as SNMA ' s most impactful grant to date. This grant focuses on the National Strategic Collaborations for National Community Service Protocols, aiming to educate community members of all ages. Throughout my tenure, I provided support to liaisons in all ten regions over two years, aiding in the facilitation of their service efforts in both chapters and regions. Additionally, I coordinated Health Fairs, Pipeline programs, and outreach events with partners such as Mentoring in Medicine, Med Eq, Be the Match, Purple Tears, and New Orleans East Hospital. During my term as Community Service Co-Chair, I had the privilege of traveling to the AAMC twice, engaging in discussions with the Chief Diversity Officer of the AAMC and student leaders of APAMPSA and LMSA to address how to support medical students of color. Additionally, I provided insight about SNMA pipeline initiatives and outreach programs for the AAMC and NMA Black Men in Medicine Coalition. Beyond this role, I also served as a member of the Academic Affairs Committee and as a Curriculum leader for the SNMA Orthopedic Surgery Interest Group, collaborating closely with the NMA Orthopedic Section to develop programming supporting students interested in Orthopedic Surgery.

As the former National Pre-Medical Board Member and Chair of our MAPS Committee, I oversaw the efforts of all MAPS chapters in the country. MAPS was structured like a mini SNMA, comprising 58 leadership positions with programmatic and regional arms. During my tenure, I initiated the National Post Bacc Initiative, a year-long program addressing the needs of nontraditional premedical students. Additionally, I spearheaded the development of our MCAT Academy, oversaw our Blueprint Scholarship giveaway, and collaborated with Blueprint and Headquarters to secure 100 more scholarships. I also implemented the Community College Initiative and the HBCU MAPS for All Initiative, and reinstated our Application Bootcamp. Additionally, I developed virtual MAPS Leadership training sessions for our chapter, regional, and national leaders. Regarding conference programming, I oversaw the planning of the January NLI conference for our pre-medical students as well as the Pre-Medical Forum of the Annual Medical Education Conference, featuring Dr. Contessa Metcalfe from Married to Medicine as the keynote speaker to celebrate the successful first year of the Post Bacc Initiative. I have had Physician and Physician Scientist Diversity Summit in Phoenix, Arizona, and the Association of of Directors, serving as a voting member of the Board, a voting member of the Executive Committee, and a National Committee Chair.

Moreover, I served the National MAPS Committee as Vice-Chair during the 2019-2020 Administration, where I played a vital role in documenting our committee's efforts and overseeing our MAPS Webinar series. I also served as Publications Liaison on the National MAPS Committee, where I oversaw our publications team and our social media pages, developing marketing materials and strategies to increase Associate Member involvement and promote external partnerships.

As a National Leader, I have also served as a National Future Leadership Fellow and a member of the National Strategy Team, collaborating with various stakeholders to examine national alumni member engagement within the SNMA and to identify strategies to increase mentorship and funding opportunities for students. Additionally, I assisted with various aspects of AMEC planning

At the Regional level, I have dedicated three years to serving Region 9, with roles including Political Advocacy Liaison (PAL) and Webmaster. As a PAL on the Health Policy and Legislative Affairs (HPLA) Committee, I facilitated health disparities workshops, served on the Conference Subcommittee, and led Med Out the Vote campaigns. As Webmaster and member of the External Affairs Committee, I managed our social media accounts, webpage, and regional apparel store, overseeing programming marketing tools and regional apparel design. Outside of these roles, I worked with the PMRs and MAPS Liaisons on planning the Pre-Medical Forum for RMEC, facilitating various workshops.

At the Chapter level, I have served as Publications Chair, Vice President, and Chapter President, striving to provide invaluable opportunities to our members. As Chapter President, I secured grants and sponsorships to allow members to attend the 2017 AMEC, led health labs for children, and hosted weekly workshops for students focusing on college applications and applying to pre-medical programs.

Beyond my SNMA responsibilities, I have held additional leadership roles, including Coordinator of the Orthopedic Surgery Special Interest Group and Social Medicine Fellow at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. I have also served in various capacities within the National Society of Black Engineers, Health Occupation Students of America, and the Syracuse University Office of Multicultural Affairs. Additionally, I have worked as a Dance Instructor for Alvin Ailey, a Nursing Assistant, and an Analyst for Pfizer and Accenture.

QI In your opinion, what are the national contribute to fulfilling each of those needs?

A

B.R.I.D.G.E.S. Platform

There are many pressing needs of our organization. To address those needs, I will follow through with my platform B.R.I.D.G.E.S.. The AMEC during the 62nd Administration will take place in Pittsburgh, PA, the city of bridges. With this, my goals are focused on reinforcing our pipeline from high school students to graduating medical students.

B: Build our Pipeline

Within our organization, there are evident gaps across our pipeline, spanning from grade school through pre-medical to medical students. Despite our valuable partnerships and available resources, there remains a significant need to further enhance benefits for all members. My primary aim is to ensure that every member, regardless of when they join us, receives tangible benefits throughout their journey with our organization. Specifically focusing on academics, I aspire to collaborate closely with our National Leaders to secure ACT and SAT prep resources for our high school associate members. Additionally, I am committed to building upon the groundwork laid this year by expanding the availability of MCAT scholarships for pre-medical students and establishing additional scholarships for USMLE and COMLEX preparation.

R: Restructure our Networking Efforts

Within our organization, we host numerous exceptional conferences, webinars, and programs, offering invaluable networking prospects to our members. However, it's disheartening that many of our members struggle to effectively leverage these opportunities to cultivate enduring relationships with mentors or programs. To address this challenge, I propose the creation of a Networking 101: Fostering Positive Networking Relationships Webinar Series, spanning six weeks. This series aims to empower students to strengthen their professional connections with medical mentors, research mentors, and potential programs, thus fostering a supportive and enriching network within our community.

I: Initialize Streamlined Processes

Despite the remarkable resources we've developed over the past 60 years, accessibility remains a significant concern. I am committed to maintaining ongoing efforts to enhance our website's user-friendliness, making it more accessible for both potential members and external partners. Regarding databases as valuable resources for our members, many documents for research programs, scholarships, residency programs, summer programs, post-bacc programs, and master's programs have been consistently generated at the regional and national levels. However, these databases are typically only accessible to leaders of the current administration, leaving subsequent members and leaders unaware of these resources. This results in the need to create new databases annually and a lack of a comprehensive list. To address this issue, I aim to collaborate with our regions, Headquarters staff, and the Diversity Research Committee to establish an internal repository for these databases on our website. This centralized location will enable our members to access and benefit from these resources for years to come, fostering greater inclusivity and resource utilization within our organization.

D: Diversify our Streams of Income

While our American Medical Education Conference serves as our primary source of revenue, I am dedicated to collaborating with our Headquarters staff to broaden our sponsorship base. Furthermore, I am committed to building upon this year's efforts to expand our virtual SNMA Store. In addition to AMEC sponsorships, my vision includes designing purposeful programming that not only benefits our members but also generates revenue for our organization. Moreover, I plan to launch a National Donation Campaign, drawing from insights gained during my time as an NFLP fellow. It's evident that alumni are more inclined to donate when approached with specific and personalized requests. By diversifying our income streams, we aim to increase revenue and establish both unrestricted and restricted funds to better meet the evolving needs of our organization.

G: Guide

My aim is to offer our members enhanced guidance by expanding mentorship opportunities within our organization. Mentorship has posed a challenge for us over many decades, not due to a lack of resources, but rather because we haven't fully utilized our existing structure and the wealth of experience from our phenomenal mentors and alumni members. I envision leveraging our Specialty Interest Groups and National Committees to standardize mentorship programs, providing seamless support for pre-medical and medical students as they navigate their journeys, including residency applications. Additionally, I aim to establish an alliance to better cater to all members, regardless of their background or career path, including osteopathic, allopathic, and international medical graduates, dual-degree seekers, non-traditional pre-medical students, undergraduate pre-medical students, community college pre-medical students, and high school students. Through these efforts, we can ensure that every member receives the guidance and support they need to thrive.

E: Establish More Accessibility

My goal is to enhance the accessibility of our organization's resources for all members. Through my interactions with our members, external partners, and various institutions, I often hear surprise at the breadth of resources and opportunities available through the SNMA. While we continue to develop new programs and sustain existing efforts, it's crucial that these resources are easily accessible to our members. This encompasses webinars, regional programs, national committee initiatives, and member benefits. To address this need, I plan to collaborate closely with our External Affairs, Membership, Academic Affairs, and MAPS Committee. Together, we will ensure that our events and programs are readily available and accurately represented on our website and social media platforms. Additionally, I aim to increase our presence at national events and meetings focused on underrepresented minority students. Furthermore, I intend to conduct targeted outreach at undergraduate and high school institutions to educate students on becoming Associate Members and engaging with chapter, regional, and national programming. By nurturing students at the outset of their journey, we can better equip them for success and provide accessible resources throughout their medical school experience.

S: Start a Statistical Track Record

Over the years, much of our program development has relied on assumptions and personal experiences. While these initiatives have undoubtedly benefited our members, there are instances where we may not fully meet their needs. I aim to expand upon the groundwork laid during my tenure as Pre-Medical Board Member and Community Service Co-Chair by implementing needs assessments and program evaluations. To enhance our approach, I propose conducting surveys targeting both medical students and premedical students. By gathering data on their needs and preferences, we can better tailor our programs to address their specific requirements. Additionally, I believe it's essential to evaluate our organization's successes comprehensively. Currently, we lack data on metrics such as the number of premedical students transitioning to medical school, re-applicants, and the progression of medical student members into residency. This data not only aids in better supporting our members but also facilitates the development of stronger partnerships.

By establishing a statistical track record spanning several years, we can present a more compelling case to potential sponsors, thereby securing additional resources, benefits, and scholarships in the long run.