amsa
AMERICAN MEDICAL STUDENT ASSOCIATION
ABOUT US
UC Berkeley Premedical AMSA Chapter
The mission of UC Berkeley AMSA Premed Chapter is to provide information, support and leadership development for future physicians-in-training at Cal. As activists, we seek to foster our philosophy of diversity and community service in the premedical student, while providing benefits and service which aid future physicians-in-training as they prepare for a career in medicine.
We are a group of students (mostly pre-meds, but everyone is welcome!) dedicated to giving back to the community, learning about medicine today, and creating a welcoming and supportive community at Cal. Founded a little more than a decade ago in the 90's by UC Berkeley students, it is a affiliated with the oldest and largest independent association of physicians-in-training in the United States-- the national American Medical Student Association (AMSA), which is known to have over six decades of medical student activism.
Today, UC Berkeley AMSA is a student-governed, UC Berkeley organization supported by the ASUC and is committed to representing the concerns of future physicians-in-training. With a membership of more than 150 premedical students, UC Berkeley AMSA continues its commitment to providing a support network and resource for pre-medical students interested in health and medicine.
How is UC Berkeley AMSA different from other premedical organization on campus?
When you join UC Berkeley AMSA, you become more than just a part of a premedical organization on campus. We emphasize leadership as well as professionalism. On a national level, you also become part of a vital force of future physicians who believe that patients and health professionals are partners in the management of health care and that access to high-quality healthcare is a right and not a privilege. At AMSA, activism is a way of life. Student idealism is transformed into meaningful public service, innovation and institutional change.
We participate in a number of short and long term volunteer projects including work with foster care kids, the disabled, the elderly and the homeless. Our Action Committees (see sidebar menu under "Committees") are dedicated to exploring humanistic and current social developments in the medical world.
We also work to create a support network for premeds at Cal. Annually, AMSA organizes the UC Berkeley Pre-Health Conference (click here for last year's program) in the spring to provide access to useful, interesting, fun pre-health workshops and resources. You can learn even more at our general meetings and events.