| |
AMSA Opportunities Available at the Convention
For more information, address
questions to the individual holding
the position this year, the TALs or the national president.
The 2008 annual convention offers each member of AMSA the
chance to become more involved in the organization. Unlike any
other medical student organization, AMSA is run entirely by medical
students, excluding the resident trustees. Sometimes, our national
president begins a year-long term in office immediately after
graduating from medical school, while other national presidents
hold office prior to finishing medical school.
AMSA depends on dedicated student leaders to devote their
extracurricular time and energy on their responsibilities as
national leaders. Each leadership position varies greatly with
respect to responsibility, time commitment and previous experience
required. However, each requires a good working knowledge of
our organization, dedication and excitement for AMSA.
The following pages briefly describe the positions available,
as well as the election and application process for each of these
positions. You should review our Web site
to gain a working knowledge of our organization and you should
also feel free to contact the person
who currently holds the position in which you are interested
for more information. AMSA is your organization, and we encourage
you to be involved at whatever level is best for you.
NATIONAL OFFICES
At the annual convention, the House of Delegates (HOD) elects
the president, vice president, treasurer, junior trustee-at-large
and an action committee trustee of the association. These national
elections are an extremely important process for AMSA because
they identify key officers who will have a major influence on
how our association operates during the upcoming year.
An important and interesting responsibility of the medical
chapters is to review the qualifications of each of these candidates
and decide which candidates will best serve AMSA. Several weeks
before the annual convention, the national office will send each
delegate a packet containing the resumes/CVs and personal statements
of each candidate. After hearing speeches and meeting the candidates
at convention, each delegate casts a ballot in the Saturday
session of the HOD. The nominations
committee coordinates these election activities.
Candidates for national office are encouraged to submit an
elective office application, cover letter and CV (cover
letter and CV can not exceed 4-pages total) to the national office
by the postmark deadline date of January 14, 2008. Materials
received on time will be mailed to delegates, posted
online and distributed in the HOD. This early deadline allows
chapters to review the candidates' credentials before convention.
Cover letters and CVs received after the deadline, but prior
to February 11, 2008, will be posted online and distributed in
the House of Delegates (with an indication of the date received),
but will not be included in the mailing to delegates and chapter
presidents. Cover letters and CVs received after February 11,
2008, will only be distributed in the House of Delegates if the
candidate provides the necessary copies (280 copies). The final
deadline for candidates to announce their candidacy to the nominations
committee is 12:30 pm on Friday of the annual convention.
JOB DESCRIPTIONS - As national officers, the president,
vice president, treasurer, two trustees-at-large and an action
committee trustee share some common responsibilities. These duties
include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Serve as a leader for the association and develop new leaders.
- Provide support and serve as a resource for other AMSA leaders.
- Attend and actively participate in all meetings of the Board
of Trustees (BOT), Chapter Officers Conference
and Annual Convention.
- Attend regional conferences
as time and money permits.
- Serve on the executive committee of the BOT (except junior
trustee-at-large).
- Conscientiously and successfully transition with his/her
successor.
- Represent AMSA externally, at the request of the president.
PRESIDENT
The president is the senior elected officer of the association.
He/she is a full-time, salaried officer who serves a one-year
term at the national office. As such, the president is responsible
for overseeing the Board of Trustees (BOT) and all association
initiatives, working with local chapters
and implementing AMSA's strategic plan. He/she presides over
all meetings of the BOT and the executive committee and is an
ex-officio member on all committees (except the nominations committee).
The president is also responsible for choosing a theme and overseeing
the annual convention.
The president represents AMSA in all external affairs. He/she
advises organized medicine on issues related to medical students,
supports legislative and educational initiatives, often gives
testimony on AMSA's behalf and works with the media. He/she may
also initiate projects of priority to the organization.
The president's year is never without work. Particularly busy
times include May through July, mid-August through Thanksgiving
and January through the convention. The president should have
strong written and oral communication skills, organizational
and administrative skills and a complete knowledge of AMSA. Other
useful qualities are networking abilities, knowledge of health
policy and medical education policy, and a willingness to travel.
Most importantly, this is a full-time job. The president must
be exceptionally dedicated to working for the betterment of AMSA.
VICE PRESIDENT FOR MEMBERSHIP
In addition to the duties of all national officers, the Vice President for membership (VPM) has several specific responsibilities. He/she
is responsible for coordinating the annual Chapter
Officers Conference (COC) held in July of each year, including
preparation, execution and obtaining and reporting appropriate
feedback. The VPM also runs mini-COC sessions at the regional
conferences. The VPM is responsible for preparing written summaries
of each BOT meeting and submitting these (in a timely manner)
to the board of trustees and the membership. The VPM sits on the
membership committee of the BOT and assists in its work.
He/she assists the president of the association as needed.
This includes presiding over BOT and executive committee meetings
in the absence of the president. The VPM may also be asked to
assume other duties as directed by the president, the BOT or
the House of Delegates. This may include,
but is not limited to, chairing ad hoc committees and special
work groups, acting externally as the official AMSA representative,
or sitting on other committees of the association.
Since the VPM is responsible for the COC, he/she is busiest
from April to July, the months between the convention and COC.
Following the COC, the VPM pursues other specific areas of interest
to the association. The VPM is often called upon to assist in
convention planning. During this time, as the convention approaches,
a greater time commitment is once again required.
VICE PRESIDENT FOR FINANCES
It's the chief responsibility of the vp of finances (VPF), under the
guidance of the BOT, to administer the budget. They
must have a working knowledge of the budget line items and what
expenditures these line items cover. The duties include, but are not limited to, working closely with the president,
executive director, accountant, BOT, action committees and the
national office staff to solve any financial issues that arise,
reporting on the budget at each BOT meeting and at the April
and January BOT meetings. The VPF is responsible
for all budgetary decisions that are made when the BOT is not in session. Furthermore, they ensure
that money is spent wisely.
The VPF is also responsible for the preparation of the
budget for the fiscal year following his/her term. They
must prepare an annual report to the HOD concerning the financial
issues of the association during his/her tenure. As a member
of the BOT, the VPF is responsible
for staying abreast of all issues, whether financial or non-financial
in nature, being a responsible voting member of these groups,
and serving on one of the BOT subcommittees.
The VPF must attend nine meetings per year: four BOT
meetings, two executive committee meetings, one transition meeting
with the outgoing VP of Finances, one transition meeting with the
incoming VP of Finances (to be held in March or April) and one budget
planning session for the upcoming fiscal year.
VICE PRESIDENT FOR INTERNAL AFFAIRS AND SECRETARY
The Vice President for Internal Affairs (VPIA) and the Secretary are responsible for all planning
and oversight of the HOD. They assure that
all resolutions to be debated by
the HOD are submitted to chapters well before the convention;
staff, train and oversee all committees (reference,
credentials and nominations)
of the HOD; and chair all sessions. They are intimately involved
in the function of the reference committees, and they oversee
the elections of the national officers at the convention.
The VPIA and Secretary also sit as members of the BOT. On the board, they together chair ad hoc committees of the BOT as instructed
by the HOD or the president. They also serve
in a position of continuity from one year to the next, and their
knowledge of the Preamble, Purposes
and Principles and AMSA's legislative functions makes
them a great resource for information.
They assist the president in communication with regional
trustees and act as an information resource and a troubleshooter
to assist the regional trustees in performing their jobs. The
Secretary is also responsible for representing AMSA's interest
groups to the BOT.
Time requirements are easier from April to September,
but responsibilities accelerate quickly as the annual convention
approaches. From January through the convention is the busiest
time of their year. As a position of continuity and internal
affairs, the trustees'-at-large serve a vital role to the BOT,
and their value to the House cannot be underestimated.
VICE PRESIDENT FOR PROGRAMMING
The Vice President for programming (VPP) is elected by the HOD
at the annual convention. The VPP represents the Action Committees
(ACs) to the Board of Trustees and the
AMSA Foundation Board of
Directors. He/she acts as a guide and leader for the AC chairs
and directs them toward their goals for the year. The VPP works
with the director of student programming to set the agenda for
the June and November meetings of the ACs.
REGIONAL OFFICERS
Regional directors are elected by the chapters in their respective
regions during regional time at the annual convention. Check
your region. Each chapter casts one vote in the election
of a regional director. Candidates for regional director positions
are encouraged to submit an elective
office application, cover
letter and CV (cover letter and CV can not exceed 4-pages
total) to the national office by the postmark deadline date of
January 14, 2008. regional trustee materials received on time
will be mailed to delegates, posted
online and distributed in the HOD. This early deadline allows
chapters to review the candidates' credentials before the convention.
Cover letters and CVs received after the deadline but prior to
February 11, 2008, will be posted online and distributed in the
House of Delegates (with an indication of the date received),
but will not be included in the mailing to delegates and chapter
presidents. Cover letters and CVs received after February 11,
2008, will only be distributed in the House of Delegates if the
candidate provides the necessary copies (280 copies).
REGIONAL DIRECTORS
The position of regional director (RD) is one of the most
vital in national AMSA. The RDs are elected
by the chapters of their region to serve as their representative
to the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the association. The duties
of an RD involve both BOT and regional/local responsibilities.
RDs must attend and participate in the June, November and
March pre-convention meetings of the BOT, the Chapter
Officers Conference (COC), a regional conference and the
annual convention. They participate on various committees of
the BOT, help to make decisions at the national level and coordinate
AMSA projects in the short and long range. Most importantly,
the RDs serve as a liaison between local chapters and national
AMSA. RDs are the primary information conduit between local chapters
and the national officers, and they function as cheerleaders,
troubleshooters and organizers rolled into one for their region.
Communication with both BOT and chapters is a primary duty
of the RD. It is expected that RDs will call chapter officers
no less than every six weeks and email information and newsletters
to the chapters in their regions. Last, but certainly not least,
the RD is the focal point for the organization of the regional
workshop in the fall and optionally may organize mini-COCs and
workshops at other times during the year.
The time requirements can be heavy: phone calling, chapter
visits and travel to BOT meetings can be demanding on the RT's
schedule. But the rewards far outweigh these burdens, and the
regional director is the vital link in AMSA between local and
national resources.
OTHER BOARD OF TRUSTEE POSITIONS
In addition to the national and regional positions, there
is one premedical trustee, 10 premedical regional directors,
one alumni & resident trustee, one international trustee and one international programming coordinator. They are elected by their own constituencies
and serve as their representatives on the BOT. Their job descriptions
follow.
Candidates are encouraged to submit an elective
office application, cover
letter and CV (cover letter and CV can not exceed 4-pages
total) to the national office by the postmark deadline date of
January 14, 2008. Premedical, resident and international trustee
materials received on time will be mailed to delegates, posted
online and distributed in the HOD. This early deadline allows
chapters to review the candidates' credentials before the convention.
Cover letters and CVs received after the deadline but prior to
February 11, 2008, will be posted online and distributed in the
House of Delegates (with an indication of the date received),
but will not be included in the mailing to delegates and chapter
presidents. Cover letters and CVs received after February 11,
2008, will only be distributed in the House of Delegates if the
candidate provides the necessary copies (280 copies). Premedical
Regional Director and International Associate Trustee materials
received on time will be posted online.
PREMED TRUSTEE AND PREMEDICAL REGIONAL
DIRECTORS
The premedical and premedical regional directors are elected
each year by the premedical caucus of AMSA, which meets on Saturday at the annual convention.
The responsibilities of the premedical and premedical regional
directors include assisting in the development and chartering
of new premedical AMSA chapters, contacting undergraduate
students regarding AMSA membership and coordinating the premedical
caucus. In addition, the premedical trustee is an ex-officio
member of the BOT and thus carries the responsibilities of any
BOT member.
ALUMNI & RESIDENT TRUSTEE
One physician/alumni AMSA member fills the positions of alumni and resident
trustee. They represent the interests of AMSA's physician
members (residents, interns and practicing physicians) to the
BOT. They provide insight into the development of membership
services and programming of particular interest to his/her constituents,
assists in convention programming, chairs the graduate caucus
and has a seat on the BOT.
INTERNATIONAL TRUSTEE
The international caucus elects the trustee on Saturday
at the annual convention. The international trustee develops
and maintains the international chapters at the local level;
represents the concerns of the international student membership
to the Board of Trustees; serves as a resource to international
affiliate members of AMSA for information about, or contact with,
levels of the organization; and facilitates meetings of international
members of the organization at the annual convention.
INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMING COORDINATOR
The international programming coordinator (IPC) works with the international trustee to serve the international membership of AMSA. The IPC is responsible for helping to contact international chapter officers and members and sits on the board of regional directors.
ACTION COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP POSITIONS
During their organizational time, Action Committees
elect new leadership for the coming year. This year, the committee structure is up for re-organization. Please see our committee description page for more on the new structure.
Each AC Chair is responsible for directing the activities
of his/her committee and overseeing the work of the committee
coordinators. Each of the ACs will elect project
coordinators to work on specific projects deemed important by
that AC and/or the individuals running for positions. Elections
will take place during AC organizational time during the annual
national convention.
Action committees have applications which candidates should
complete in advance or at convention. These may be found at the
AC Web sites or at their tables at the convention.
INTEREST GROUP LEADERSHIP POSITIONS
AMSA has a number of interest groups
including Child and Adolescent Health, Death and Dying, Direct
Action, Geriatrics, Mental Health, Military Medicine, Naturopathic
Medicine, Neurology, Osteopathic Medicine, Preventive Medicine,
Primary Care and Surgery. Each of these interest groups elects
a coordinator who develops programming and oversees the listserve
and Web page for the interest group. Interest group coordinators
do not attend any additional meetings other than the annual convention.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES ELECTION PROCESS GUIDELINES
Per Bylaws Article VIII, Section 9 of
the PPP (Code of Election Conduct (2007);
- No distribution of campaign materials. The Nominations Committee
chair, with the assistance of the Trustees-at-Large, will determine
how the candidates will identify themselves as such.
- No form of mass communication will be utilized by any candidate
in efforts to "campaign" with the general membership.
CVs and personal statements shall be submitted to the AMSA national
office and must be postmarked 60 days prior to the convening
of the HOD. Candidates entering the race after that time may
submit a CV, which will be disseminated by the Trustees-at-Large
to the HOD.
- Nominees shall publicly address the membership only at times
determined by the HOD Nominations Committee.
- Receptions and/or hospitality should not be used for promotion
of a candidate.
- No member of AMSA shall recklessly or negligently disseminate
information on behalf of a candidate about another AMSA member
or candidate. If this occurs, the candidate is obligated to notify
the nominations committee immediately. Any allegation of misconduct
regarding a candidate shall be submitted in writing to the nominations
committee for review by 5 PM the night prior to the election.
If it is submitted after 5 PM, then the Nominations Committee
shall have the power to postpone the election for that office
to review the allegations. Any postponement of the election beyond
the closure of the HOD requires approval of the HOD. If the allegation
of misconduct is found to be valid or will discredit the organization,
the nominations committee shall determine the best course of
action.
- The rising STAL and the STAL (if not running for a national
office) shall advise the nominations committee as necessary and
conduct the HOD as appropriate.
In all other circumstances, the nominations committee shall
determine the appropriate course of action.
VOTING PROCEDURES
NATIONAL OFFICERS
Voting for national officers will be accomplished by written
ballot at a designated voting station in the House of Delegates
(HOD). Upon certification by the credentials committee of their
eligbility to vote, each delegate
will receive a ballot from the nominations committee. All delegates
will be certified by the "delegate
certification form."
The ballot will contain the names of all candidates nominated
for each national office: president, vice president, treasurer,
one trustee-at-large and one action committee trustee. Each delegate
will vote only once. Once a ballot is cast, it cannot be changed.
The voting procedure will be as follows: election will be
by simple majority. Elections for any national offices in which
there are greater than two candidates use a system of instant
runoff voting. Under this system, in which each chapter has as
many votes as they have delegates to the HOD, each delegate ranks
the candidates in order of preference. The counting of ballots
simulates a series of runoff elections. All first choices are
counted, and if no candidate wins a majority of first choices,
then the last place candidate is eliminated. Ballots of voters
who ranked the eliminated candidate first are redistributed to
their next choice candidates, as indicated on each voter's ballot.
Last place candidates are successively eliminated and ballots
are redistributed to next choices until one candidate remains
or a candidate gains a majority of votes. In case of a tie the
candidates receiving the two highest number of votes in the first
ballot shall be included on the second balloting. Additional
balloting for said office shall continue until one candidate
shall receive a majority of votes cast on a reballot and he/she
shall be elected to said office. The nominations committee will
conduct the counting of the votes, and will announce the final
results to the House of Delegates.
REGIONAL TRUSTEES
The election of regional trustees will take place during
regional time at the annual convention. Each region elects at
least one trustee, except regions II, III, VIII and X, which
each elect two regional trustees. Each chapter will have one
vote in the selection of a trustee, and the process will be conducted
by instant runoff voting in a system similar to that described
above for national elections. The nominations committee will
conduct the counting of the votes, and will announce the final
results.
PREMEDICAL, RESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL
TRUSTEES, INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMMING COORDINATOR, AND PREMEDICAL REGIONAL DIRECTORS
The premedical, resident and international trustees, international programming coordinator and all premedical regional directors shall
be elected by the constituencies at their respective caucuses
on Saturday at the convention. In the premedical and international
caucuses, each chartered chapter that is present shall have one
vote. In the resident caucus, each member of the resident caucus
who is present shall have one vote. The nominations committee
will conduct the counting of the votes, and will announce the
final results. |
|
|
|
|
|
