Student Organizations Catalogue

Career and Professional Development

• Adolescent Medicine Interest Group

  • The Adolescent Medicine Interest Group (AMIG) provides an opportunity for interested students to learn more about treating and managing the unique needs of adolescents. Our goal is to introduce the field of adolescent medicine as a career option, as well as to supplement our medical knowledge in areas that are more focused toward teen patients. In the past, this group has offered talks about career options and issues in adolescent medicine, including eating disorders, teenage pregnancy, and adolescent sexuality.

• Anesthesiology Interest Group

  • The AIG is a student interest group for medical students interested in anesthesiology. We provide shadowing opportunities, clinical workshops, and informational panels/meetings for students looking to learn more about this awesome specialty!

• Dermatology Interest Group

  • The Dermatology Interest Group (DIG) provides a supportive community for students considering a career in dermatology. We offer opportunities for students to form meaningful experiences and networking within the field.

• Emergency Medicine Interest Group

  • Emergency Medicine Interest Group aims to expose medical and nursing students to topics in Emergency Medicine (EM) earlier in their medical education while concurrently beginning to practice the relevant skills in the pre-clinical years through simulation training sessions. Simulation sessions provide medical students the opportunity to practice the skills and techniques that are discussed in the lecture series, as well as basic skills commonly seen in the ED like suturing, airway management, and casting. To further enhance clinical problem-solving, small-group case nights and panels are held by faculty and residents. Additionally, students are able to pursue shadowing opportunities both in the ED and in EMS systems.

• ENT Interest Group

  • The field of Otolaryngology (ENT) covers an incredible breadth and depth of medical as well as surgical care. The field has evolved considerably and now encompasses seven subspecialties including pediatric otolaryngology, rhinology, facial plastic surgery, neurotology, surgical oncology, laryngology and sleep surgery. Our group serves as a source of didactic lectures, interactive physical exam sessions, and clinical/surgical shadowing opportunities, all with our amazing ENT attendings here at UMass who are excited to show what they love about their chosen field.

• Family Medicine Interest Group

  • The Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG) provides interested students with an opportunity to explore the diverse field of family medicine, including the specialty's emphasis on social justice and health equity. Students will get the opportunity to network with family medicine providers and build clinical skills through panel discussions, procedure workshops, shadowing and research opportunities, and much more!

• Gastroenterology Interest Group

  • This group is an opportunity for students to gain experience working with GI faculty at UMass. In addition to coordinating shadowing opportunities for students, this group also facilitates student opportunities to attend faculty GI case conferences, meet with GI faculty and learn from their experiences. Faculty host monthly case conferences and discussions for students so that the students may learn from their expertise.

• Geriatric Interest Group (GiG)

  • The Geriatrics Interest Group (GIG) is an interprofessional group that brings together nursing students (GSN), medical students, and pharmacy students to learn about caring for older adults and the unique challenges that they face. Through a program called the Navigate elective that pairs students with older patients to "navigate" them through their primary care appointments. By spending time with members of our older communities, we seek to foster mutual understanding and appreciation of all people particularly of geriatric populations. GIG offers learners insight into better ways to care for one of our most vulnerable populations, older adults.

• Global Surgery Student Alliance at UMass (GSSA)

  • GSSA (Global Surgery Student Alliance) is a national student run group that aims to foster awareness around global surgery. Our chapter here at UMass works to expose students to the fundamental aspects involved in achieving worldwide sustainable and accessible surgical care as well as the necessary steps in developing a career in global surgery. We welcome both medical and nursing students, as well as anyone else from the UMass community, interested in exploring the field of global surgery.

• Hematology/Oncology Interest Group

  • The Hem/Onc interest group seeks to encourage interest in the field of hematology/oncology. We plan events for students that include panels, independent lectures, and opportunities to connect with residents and attending physicians with the goal of increasing student exposure to the field.

• IndEx

  • The IndEx (Industry Exploration) program is aimed to help Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences students and postdocs at UMass Chan explore careers in biotech/pharmaceutical industries in the Worcester/Boston/New England area. IndEx arranges for small groups of trainees to visit biotech/pharma companies to experience company culture firsthand and obtain netwroking opportunities. The companies will host a range of activities that may include a tour of relevant facilities, one-on-one or group discussions with company scientists, and discussions with company HR staff to learn about the company's hiring processes. The program will help students explore careers in industry, help them understand the working structure of industries in general, and will also provide a platform to network with scientists in industry.

• Infectious Disease Interest Group (IDIG)

  • The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School Infectious Disease Interest Group’s (IDIG) mission is to introduce pre-clinical medical students, nursing students, and other graduate-level students to the infectious disease specialty with a focus on the multitude of career paths within the field. We provide shadowing opportunities for interested students throughout the year, host panels where students can directly interact with faculty in the infectious disease department at UMass Chan, and invite faculty/other special guests in to talk about integral + relevant infectious disease topics.

• Internal Medicine Interest Group

  • The Internal Medicine Interest Group aims to provide students with academically enriching experiences in the incredibly broad field of internal medicine. These experiences include panel discussions, clinical observation experiences, skills sessions, and opportunities for networking with physicians and residents within internal medicine & its subspecialties.

• Interventional Radiology Interest Group

  • Interventional Radiology is an innovative and rapidly growing field that uses minimally invasive techniques guided by imaging to address problems of every organ system. The Interventional Radiology Interest Group (IRIG) aims to increase visibility and early exposure among medical students and promote mentorship between IR faculty, residents and students. We have formal shadowing opportunities in vascular and neurointerventional radiology, hands-on workshops as well as panel and lecture discussions with IR faculty and residents. We want to educate students about the residency program application process and varied routes of entry into IR, including the newer Integrated IR residency pathway.

• Life After the Ph.D. planning Committee
  • We are a planning committee led by GSBC career development chair, and we organize virtual or in-person UMassChan graduate school alumni networking events. In each event, a panel of alumni discusses their personal experiences or insights about their life after the PhD, their career, and their daily lives.
• Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group

  • The Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group (LMIG) is a tri-school organization committed to promoting evidence-based lifestyle therapeutic intervention within UMass Chan and the greater Worcester community. This includes a whole-food, plant-predominant eating pattern, regular physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances, and positive social connection to prevent, treat, and often reverse chronic disease. The LMIG increases the awareness of lifestyle medicine across disciplines through programming for students, clinicians, and the community. Our organization is rooted in the prevention and treatment of chronic disease by improving health-awareness and empowering patients to take an active role in their wellbeing.  

• MassAHEC Rural Health Scholars

  • The MassAHEC Rural Health Scholars Pathway is an interprofessional learning experience.  Its aim is to nurture the interest of UMass Chan students who want to explore practice in rural and small-town communities. Participating students:

    • are paired with a primary care physician mentor at the Barre Family Health Center or another practice in a small town.
    • learn about important linkages between clinical practice and public health aimed at developing healthy communities (PURCH students participate in activities in the Springfield and Greenfield areas),
    • have the opportunity to meet and to be mentored by others in the medical, nursing, public health, population health and governmental sectors as well as other health care disciplines who work to meet the needs of rural and small-town communities,
    • become part of a small group of students who participate in interactive workshops and share a desire to care for underserved residents in small towns and rural areas.
• MassAHEC Urban Health Scholars Longitudinal Enrichment Elective
  • The goal of the Urban Health Scholars Longitudinal Enrichment Elective is to encourage student interest in primary care, particularly to serve culturally and linguistically diverse, traditionally underserved populations.  The longitudinal elective, spanning four years of medical school, is partnered with the Rural Health Scholar Longitudinal Enrichment Elective; both are supported by MassAHEC. In T.H. Chan School of Medicine Year 1, students complete didactic and experiential opportunities related to urban health and be assigned an LPP at an urban health center.  The students will meet regularly with faculty to reflect on and process what they are learning and the implications for their future profession; attaining mastery includes repeated reinforcement and ongoing reflection. Students will be supported in the development of a Capstone and Summer Assistantship. In T.H. Chan School of Medicine Year 2, the students will participate in 5-10 hours of didactic/experiential opportunities with the incoming class, continue their LPP placement and Capstone. Students will be prioritized for a Population Health Clerkship which responds to their interest. In T.H. Chan School of Medicine Years 3 and 4, students will strengthen their leadership skills by co-leading the seminars and skills sessions, complete their Family Medicine clerkship, urban health FCEs, Capstone and present/publish as opportunities arise (e.g. Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, National Association of Community Health Centers). Students will be supported by Kendra Marien, MSW, Director, Central MA AHEC (faculty appointment in process), Linda Cragin, MS, Director, MassAHEC and Warren Ferguson, MD, MassAHEC Medical Director, and family medicine faculty based at their LPP sites.  Suzanne Cashman, ScD, as co-director of the Rural Health Scholars Longitudinal Enrichment Elective and evaluator of the AHEC grant is also significantly involved.
• Meds/Peds Interest Group

  • The Med/Peds IG is designed to support students who are interested in training in combined medicine/pediatrics after graduation.

• Military Medicine and VA Interest Group

  • The Military Medicine and VA Interest Group aim to educate students about the practice of medicine in the military and the care of current and former members of the military, facilitate connections between students and the VA to provide educational opportunities related to working with veterans/the VA, and serve as a resource and network for students committed to or interested in the Health Professions Scholarship Program (HPSP).

• OB/GYN Interest Group

  • The OB/GYN interest Group at UMass Chan Medical School is committed to the promotion of Obstetrics and Gynecology as a future career path for UMass Chan students. Our goal is to expose students to the various aspects of Obstetrics and Gynecology and provide both mentoring and clinical opportunities for those wishing to further develop their interests in the field. By giving medical students early insight into Obstetrics and Gynecology during the FOM1 and FOM2 years, we hope to provide opportunities that will create a foundation for students interested in becoming specialists in the future.

• Ophthalmology Interest Group

  • The Ophthalmology Interest Group aims to promote an interest in Ophthalmology by providing opportunities to learn more about the specialty, interact with faculty, and facilitate research involvement. Whether or not you want to apply into Ophthalmology, this is the premier group to learn all there is to know about this innovative and exciting specialty!

• Organized Medicine (OrgMed)
  • As physicians we are trained to identify the factors that influence our patient’s health, many of which include social barriers, health care system delivery, and current public policy. As such, physicians should advocate for positive change on behalf of the health
    and well-being of our patients. Organized Medicine collaborates with organizations such as the American Medical Association (AMA), Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS), Worcester District Medical Society (WDMS), and American Medical Student Association (AMSA) to represent the physician and trainee perspectives on topics ranging from racial justice to medical education. With these partnerships, students have the opportunity to write and review policy, meet with their local or state elected officials, learn more about health care policy, and are empowered to make changes in their community.
• Orthopedic Surgery Interest Group

  • The Orthopedic Surgery Interest Group seeks to enable students to explore the field of orthopedics and get to know the UMass orthopedic surgeons. We help organize shadowing opportunities and weekends on call with residents. We also put together other events such as panels with Orthopedic Surgeons and casting workshops. We are passionate about the field of orthopedics and aim to enable students to become involved in orthopedics, as well.

• Pediatric Interest Group (PIG)

  • Whether you are someone who knows you want to become a pediatrician, or someone who is just looking to learn more about pediatric medicine you have a place in the Pediatric Interest Group! Our goal is to help pre-clinical students explore their interest in the field through various learning opportunities such as Pediatric Morning Report, Pediatric Mini-Rounds, NICU Shadowing, and more.

• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Interest Group (PM&R)

  • Introduce students to the field and potential career paths, provide focused lectures, research opportunities, shadowing opportunities, and skills sessions to build experience.

• Psychiatry Student Interest Group

  • The Psychiatry Student Interest Group (PSIG) was created for students who are interested in entering the field of psychiatry, as well as those who are interested in exploring current topics in psychiatry. The mission of PSIG is to promote an inclusive environment where students feel supported in their goals of pursuing psychiatry as a career. To achieve this goal, PSIG hosts faculty, resident, and student panels, organizes opportunities to shadow residents, holds movie nights, organizes guest speaker events, connects students to research and volunteering opportunities, and provides a bridge for mentorship with UMass psychiatry faculty. PSIG is a part of the national Psychiatry Student Interest Group Network (PsychSIGN) and encourages members to register with PsychSIGN. In addition, PSIG supports students to attend PsychSIGN's annual regional conference in the Fall and national conference in the Spring.

• Radiology Interest Group

  • The Radiology Interest Group is a student led organization that exposes students to careers in radiology through panel discussions and mentorship by senior medical students, radiology residents, and radiology attendings.

• Simulation Interest Group

  • We are a student-led organization that focuses on creating innovation simulation events for pre-clinical medical students to further their medical education with hands-on training in clinical skills and techniques. Simulation aids serve as an alternative to real patients, creating a safe environment for students to practice clinical skills with decreased risk and harm. This method of teaching, along with its many benefits, has recently gathered increased interest, and advances in technology has enabled its use to grow significantly.

• Sports and Exercise Medicine Interest Group

  • The Sports Med Interest group aims to give students the opportunity learn about sports medicine and the various ways to enter the field. Through shadowing both in clinic and at local college and high school games, lectures, and hands-on learning, we hope provide students with the experience necessary to understand what being a sports med physician entails.

• Student Interest Group in Neurology (SIGN)

  • The Student Interest Group for Neurology is an interest group run by medical students interested in exploring the field of neurology and facilitating connections with neurology faculty. Opportunities in the interest group include exposure to neurology research at UMASS Chan Medical School, community outreach through our Building Relationships Among our Intergenerational Neighborhood (BRAIN) volunteering initiative, and our Optional Enrichment Elective (OEE) - Advancements in Clinical Neuroscience.

• Surgery Interest Group

  • The Surgery Interest Group (SIG) is a student-led organization for students interested in pursuing or exploring the field of surgery. We hope to broaden students' horizons through events around campus and organizing shadowing, research, and mentoring opportunities, such as hosting panels for 4th-year students and surgical residents to share their advice/experiences and the Pre-Clinical Surgery Program.

• The Skin Toxicities and Oncology Treatments Club

  • Oncodermatology involves the diagnosis and management of skin toxicities that develop from anti-cancer treatments. Research to minimize these toxicities is central to improving patient quality of life and dignity while receiving their anti-cancer therapy. Further, toxicity-associated disruptions of anti-cancer treatment increase morbidity and mortality associated with the cancer. Our group recognizes the profound importance of oncodermatology and meets quarterly to discuss current literature. At each meeting, we discuss three journal articles and engage with a guest speaker. We are fortunate to have support from our mentor, Dr. Svoboda. 

• UMass Chan American Physician Scientist Association Chapter
  • The American Physician Scientist Association student chapter works to expand the opportunities for all medical students interested in incorporating research into their careers. The group is open to MD, and MD/PhD students. By registering as a student organization, the APSA chapter will have access to APSA national funds to sponsor and grow the careers of UMassMed students.
• Underserved Medicine Interest Group

  • To be committed to the education and exploration of medical students interested in providing healthcare to any group(s) facing barriers to access to the medicine; to promote the active improvement of medical education; to involve its members in the social, moral, and ethical obligations of the profession of medicine; to assist in the improvement and understanding of community health problems; to advance the profession of medicine; to work to ensure that medicine reflects the diversity of society, with diversity including but not limited to differences in age, culture, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity, gender, and disability.

• University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School Consulting Club

  • The Consulting Club at UMass Chan Medical School aims to prepare current trainees for a successful transition from academia to business-related careers. We view our biomedical training as foundational to understand, interpret, analyze, and solve complex problems. We provide educational workshops, a hands-on training regimen, and networking events to help trainees develop business acumen. We assist trainees in translating and applying these skills to solve business problems in the life sciences industry.

• Urology Interest Group

  • The Urology Interest Group is a student-led organization that brings the students of UMass Chan Medical School exposure to the field of Urology – an exciting specialty that blends surgery and medicine in a very unique way. Our goal is to educate students about Urology through campus events, connect students with shadowing, research, and mentoring opportunities within the field, and allow for the sharing of wisdom and advice between students and faculty to help foster the growth and development of future urologic surgeons—this is facilitated through panels with Urology residents and faculty, hands-on surgery skills clinics, and information sessions about the early AUA match.

• Vascular Surgery Interest Group
  • The UMass Vascular Surgery Interest Group (VSIG) is dedicated to exposing medical students to the field of vascular surgery, and to providing professional mentors to those who are considering a career in vascular surgery. We also hope to connect interested medical students at varying levels of training to each other in order to provide multiple channels of advice and perspective
• Wilderness Medicine

  • The Wilderness Medicine Interest Group and the Wilderness Medicine OEE are the best ways to gain useful skills related to the practice of medicine in remote areas. Come to our sessions to hear from incredible speakers, take part in scenario-based learning, and go on adventures in the wilderness of the Northeast!

Community Engagement (Volunteerism)

• AI in Medicine
  • Our mission is to expose students to new technologies emerging in medicine. We are a group of graduate and medical students who are eager to learn about the ways Artificial Intelligence (AI) will and currently play a role in patient care .We want to bring the exciting future of AI to the medical problems of today. 
• Advocates for Healthcare Access in Worcester (Worcester Free Care Collaborative)

  • The Worcester Free Care Collaborative (WFCC) is the student body that oversees a range of free medical clinics in the Greater Worcester area. Our clinics offer medical care, social support services, and educational materials to improve the health and well-being of our patients. We are dedicated to serving the residents of our community regardless of their income, insurance, or housing status.

• Advocates for Worcester Survivors
  • Advocates for Worcester Survivors is a medical student group aimed at supporting survivors of Commercial Sexual Exploitation from the local Worcester LIFT organization. The specific goal is to explain to survivors the inner workings of the medical system and help prepare them for healthcare appointments in their future.
• Association of Women's Surgeons
  • The Association of Women Surgeons (AWS)  was created to support women surgeons at various stages in their careers - from medical school through retirement. The mission of the AWS UMass Chan Chapter is to promote an inclusive environment where students feel supported in their goals of pursuing surgery as a career. To achieve this goal, AWS hosts faculty, resident, and student panels, organize opportunities to shadow residents, organizes guest speaker events, connects students to research and volunteering opportunities, and provides a bridge for mentorship with UMass surgery faculty. AWS is a part of the National Association of Women Surgeons and encourages members to register with the International Surgical Week Conference.
• Best Buddies

  • Best Buddies is a group dedicated to supporting members of the Worcester community with special needs through group activities and individual buddy pairings with students of UMass Chan Medical School.

• Correctional Health Educators

  • Correctional Health Educators is a group of students passionate about improving health education for adolescents. We partner with Massachusetts Department of Youth Services to work with juvenile detention centers in the Worcester area to teach interactive health education classes. Our curriculum covers sexual education, healthy relationships, nutrition, alcohol, and drug use. Our purpose is to foster a safe and supportive environment to facilitate conversations on health while developing our health education skills and correctional health knowledge-base.

• Crisis & Emergency Preparedness Committee

  • In March of 2020, students at the University of Massachusetts Medical School founded the student Crisis and Emergency Preparedness Committee (CEPC): a student-run interdisciplinary organization that sought to coordinate UMass Chan student volunteer efforts related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Between 2020 and 2021, CEPC organized opportunities for student engagement, including vaccination clinics, efforts to reduce vaccine hesitancy in the community, outreach with multilingual vaccine education, and support for clinical healthcare workers. CEPC has also worked closely with UMass Chan administration and local public health leaders to deploy student volunteers to administer the COVID-19 vaccines at vaccination sites across Central MA.

    As the COVID-19 pandemic has evolved, CEPC has changed its mission to encompass more aspects of emergency prevention and response. CEPC is dedicated towards, but not limited to, several main goals. Coordinating and staffing vaccine clinics around Worcester, Working with faculty and local administration to coordinate preparedness efforts related towards any crisis that may afflict the community, and Educating students on a variety of topics to better respond to and prevent emergencies.

• Cuddle Buddies
  • Cuddle Buddies provides students with the opportunity to hold newborns at the UMass Memorial Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. In coordination with NICU staff and Volunteer Services, our program is based off of the Eat, Sleep, Console protocol for infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome and focuses on providing evidence-based comfort to infants in the NICU. In addition to volunteering in the NICU, students will attend an educational session on NAS and a safety orientation in the NICU with Volunteer Services.
• Gold Humanism Honor Society: UMass Chan Medical School Chapter

  • The Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) is guided by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation’s vision statement: “Healthcare will be dramatically improved by placing human interests, values and dignity at the core of teaching and practice.” The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School Chapter consists of select medical students, residents, and faculty recognized for their qualities of integrity, dedication, compassion, altruism, respect, empathy and curiosity. Student members from the UMass Chan chapter work with residents and faculty members to champion a culture where humanism is the cornerstone of medicine. This year, GHHS developed five pillars to encompass the vast reach of humanism in medicine. Each pillar has an overarching theme with members working on projects that focus on advancing these themes at UMass Chan.

    1. Advancing & Transforming Medical Education

    2. Wellness for Students and Residents

    3. Community Outreach and Advocacy

    4. Honoring Identity, Self and Diversity 

    5. Humanism and Narrative Medicine

• Max Baker Resource Center (MBRC)

  • The Max Baker Resource Center (MBRC) is an initiative created and maintained by students of the UMass Chan community to combat food and resource insecurity by addressing financial, social, and situational barriers to accessing necessary materials for individual health and wellness. This organization oversees that take-what-you-can and leave-what-you-can center to increase availability of healthy foods, hygiene materials, and school supplies to promote success in school and employment within the UMass Chan community.

• Medical Professionals of Tomorrow

  • Black men are highly underrepresented in medicine. To change this, we work primarily with young men of color at North High School through a series of workshops to develop their interests in STEM, particularly in medicine. We have at times expanded enrollment to any student at North High depending on the number of men of color who sign up. Our past workshops have included pig heart dissections, ultrasound-guided biopsies, hands-only CPR skills sessions, healthy eating cooking classes, movie screening and discussions, career panels, and so much more!

• Mentors for Young Mothers

  • Mentors for Young Mothers (MFYM) is a UMass Chan Medical School student-run organization that works with You Inc.’s Teen Parent Supported Living Program to support and educate teen mothers experiencing housing instability in Worcester. Students facilitate workshops at two residential facilities and present information on topics such as healthy relationships, STIs, nutrition, and job interviewing skills. In addition to weekly workshops, medical students are paired with a mother at one of the residences for a one-on-one mentor-mentee relationship.

• NERD: Neuroscience Education Regarding Divergence
  • To foster a supportive, inclusive, and educational environment spreading tools and awareness for the neurodivergent community.
• Power of Presence

  • Power of Presence is a student group that aims to ensure no one is alone at the end of their life. Our volunteers provide a caring presence for lonely patients and respite for families who can’t always be with their loved ones. Being present with someone in this capacity is a truly intimate, meaningful experience and a great privilege. Volunteers are trained on how to provide companionship, to listen actively, and to respond to non-verbal communication. They may read out loud to patients or give therapeutic hand massage. We also hold lectures  a few times a year exploring different themes pertaining to end of life care.

• Practice Safe Skin

  • The primary focus of Practice Safe Skin is creating and providing sun safety education to outdoor workers and youth groups. Our education includes, but is not limited to, discussions about the effects of harmful UV rays, how to best protect yourself from sun exposure, and basic identification of skin cancers. Practice Safe Skin is also helping with the transition of UMass Chan Medical School becoming a recognized Indoor Tan-Free “Skin Smart Campus” by the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention. Ensuring the well-being of our students, UMass Chan Medical School will be providing a safe and healthy learning and living environment on and off campus, pledging to keep indoor tanning devices off our campus and our affiliated buildings. We also promote skin cancer prevention policies. The Indoor Tan-Free Skin Smart Campus Initiative is sponsored by the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention in response to the 2014 U.S. Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Skin Cancer which concluded that there is a strong association between increased risk of skin cancer and indoor tanning use. UV radiation exposure from indoor tanning is completely avoidable which allows for interventions to help reduce skin-cancer related illness and deaths. Numerous studies have found that skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States, with melanoma as one of the most common cancers diagnosed among young adults. According to The International Agency for Research on Cancer Working Group, the use of indoor tanning facilities before the age of 35 increases the risk for melanoma by 75 percent.

• Refugee Health Interest Group
  • The goal of the Refugee Health Interest Group is to identify and serve the unique needs of new refugee arrivals and current refugee families resettled by the Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center (RIAC) in Worcester. The Refugee Health Interest group pairs UMass Chan students with refugee families in need of help navigating medical and social resources to assist in the resettlement process. Additionally, the Refugee Health Interest Group provides medical students with the opportunity to shadow physicians at the Family Health Center of Worcester (FHCW) to gain cultural understanding and global health clinical experiences. The Refugee Health Interest Group plans on forming a formal four-way partnership with the RIAC, ACE, and FHCW to streamline all refugee health efforts between UMass Chan and the Worcester community.
• Scrubs Addressing the Firearm Epidemic

  • As doctors, nurses, paramedics, medical students, and healthcare providers in the United States, we are committed to protecting our patients' physical and mental health and wellbeing. Every day, we use data obtained through rigorous scientific research to counsel our patients about how they can best protect themselves and their families from medical risk. As we bear witness to the devastation of firearms, we cannot remain silent about the significant danger that gun violence poses to our patients. As guardians of health and wellbeing, the medical community has a responsibility to address gun violence. This responsibility knows no political barrier. Unfortunately, after landmark research showed that the presence of firearms increases the risk of both homicide and suicide death in the home, political divisions limited funding for this subject. This limitation continues to impair our ability to develop the knowledge necessary to advise our patients. (1,2) SAFE is naming gun violence for what it is - a health threat of epidemic proportion - in order to rally the medical community to fight for the interests of our patients. It is time for us to bring the same urgency and dedication to the task of eliminating gun violence as we have to exposing other health risks, such as cigarette smoking. Gun violence threatens personal and public health. Through research, education, and support of evidence- backed policy, we can determine how best to arm our patients with facts and information that allow them to make the most informed decisions surrounding firearms.

• Skin Smart Campus Leadership Inititative 

  • The Indoor Tan-Free Skin Smart Campus (SSC) Initiative is sponsored by the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention in response to the 2014 U.S. Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Skin Cancer. The SSC Initiative awards colleges that promote skin cancer prevention education and prohibit indoor tanning devices on campus and in college-affiliated buildings. The Skin Smart Campus Leadership Initiative helps colleges across the country become Skin Smart Campus recognized. We are passionate about this effort as there is a strong association between skin cancer and indoor tanning. Some research has demonstrated that tanning salons are particularly concentrated near colleges. A study out of UMass Chan found that of the top 125 US colleges listed in US News and World Report, 48% had indoor tanning facilities either on campus or in off campus housing and 14% allowed campus cash cards to be used to pay for tanning.

• Tutoring and Mentoring Initiative (TaMI) at North High

  • The purpose of this initiative is to build a program to provide tutoring for students at North High in various subjects including math and science courses (including AP courses) as well as SAT exam preparation. Our goal is to help students build a solid foundation in math and science and establish learning and studying methods while in high school before heading off to college. Along with that, we hope to help students by allowing them to have a platform to establish connections with medical students to look up to and to ask questions as they start their endeavor in STEM, since people in medical school come from a wide variety of educational backgrounds.

• UMass Chan Coalition for Climate Action
  • Climate change is the greatest global public health crisis of our generation as evidenced by the increasing incidence of natural disasters, heat-waves, ocean rise, food instability, and the changing patterns of infectious diseases. Importantly, rising global temperatures disproportionately affect vulnerable populations such as children, elderly, and individuals with predisposing illnesses. International efforts are lacking in attempts to curb the climate crisis so it is imperative that swift action be taken on an individual and organizational level. As future healthcare providers, we must not only be educated about the effects of climate change but also use our collective voice to generate institutional change to better serve our patients. The UMass Chan Coalition for Climate Action aims to bring awareness to the climate crisis, educate current and future physicians to the health effects of climate change, and collaborate with the UMass Chan Medical School administration and other student organizations to bring more sustainability initiatives to both the UMass and greater Worcester communities.
• UMass Chan Mentoring Aspiring Healthcare Professionals (MAHPs)

  • UMass Chan MAHPs is a student-run organization that exists to provide an open and inclusive environment for aspiring healthcare professionals to explore and understand the various requirements for admission to graduate school. UMass MAHPs provides an opportunity for students of the UMass Chan Medical School community to connect with aspiring healthcare professional students to support their personal, academic, and professional goals and development.

• Worcester Refugee Assistance Project - Teen Mentoring Program

  • The Worcester Refugee Assistance Project (WRAP) is a non-profit organization composed of a network of individuals committed to assisting local refugees from Burma in attaining sustainable self-reliance. UMass Chan Medical School students have collaborated with WRAP for the past seven years and through this partnership, UMass students work alongside refugees and social justice advocates. Students learn about social determinants of health in meaningful ways while giving back to the Worcester community. WRAP offers a wide range of programs many of which are led by UMass students. These programs include a Youth Mentoring, Teen Mentoring, Children’s Education, and Youth Group, as well as a newly established Adult Group and COVID-19 education and vaccination campaign. We look forward to developing a case management program next year.

• Worcester Technical High School Mentoring Program

  • Worcester Technical High School Mentoring Program serves to connect University of Massachusetts graduate students with Worcester Technical High School juniors and seniors who are enrolled in the Biotechnology pathway. Mentors work one on one with students to provide guidance and support as they begin the college application process. Mentors also provide information about potential careers pathways in science and medicine. We begin working with the juniors in their spring semester and continue working with them through the senior fall.

Diversity and Advocacy

• Advocacy Allies

  • The goal of Advocacy Allies is to increase the trust between Black community members and the healthcare system. We aim to increase trust by supplying medical students of color to act as patient advocates for Black patients. Our patient advocates will help the patient with note taking, communicate medical information, and report any instances of medical racism or discrimination. We hope that having a medically literate advocate of a similar background will increase black patients’ confidence in their ability to interact with the healthcare system.

• Advocates for Worcester Survivors
  • Advocates for Worcester Survivors is a medical student group aimed at supporting survivors of Commercial Sexual Exploitation from the local Worcester LIFT organization. The specific goal is to  explain to survivors the inner workings of the medical system and help prepare them for healthcare appointments in their future.
• American Medical Women's Association (AMWA)

  • From the national branch: "The American Medical Women's Association is an organization which functions at the local, national, and international level to advance women in medicine and improve women's health. We achieve this by providing and developing leadership, advocacy, education, expertise, mentoring, and strategic alliances." Here at UMass Chan Medical School, we hold events throughout the year that foster collaboration between women physicians and medical students, provide training workshops, strive towards accessible opportunities and mentorship, and create uplifting community together.

• Association of Women's Surgeons
  • The Association of Women Surgeons (AWS)  was created to support women surgeons at various stages in their careers - from medical school through retirement. The mission of the AWS UMass Chan Chapter is to promote an inclusive environment where students feel supported in their goals of pursuing surgery as a career. To achieve this goal, AWS hosts faculty, resident, and student panels, organize opportunities to shadow residents, organizes guest speaker events, connects students to research and volunteering opportunities, and provides a bridge for mentorship with UMass surgery faculty. AWS is a part of the National Association of Women Surgeons and encourages members to register with the International Surgical Week Conference.
• Chinese Students and Scholars Association (CSSA)
  • Our goal of the Chinese Students and Scholars Association is to promote and facilitate social and cultural activities for Chinese students and scholars and all people interested in the Chinese culture at UMass Chan Medical School
• Community Garden Interest Group

  • The UMass Chan Community Garden is a student-run community garden growing vegetables in the Spring and Summer seasons. The student group provides fresh produce to the greater UMass community. This student interest group is perfect for anyone who enjoys gardening, nutrition, sustainability, or community advocacy.

• Diversity Interest Group (DIG)

  • We educate the UMass Chan community on racism and other forms of discrimination, build community among the three schools and the Worcester community, and advocate for trainee concerns around diversity and inclusion.

• Gold Humanism Honor Society: UMass Chan Medical School Chapter

  • The Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) is guided by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation’s vision statement: “Healthcare will be dramatically improved by placing human interests, values and dignity at the core of teaching and practice.” The University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School Chapter consists of select medical students, residents, and faculty recognized for their qualities of integrity, dedication, compassion, altruism, respect, empathy and curiosity. Student members from the UMass Chan chapter work with residents and faculty members to champion a culture where humanism is the cornerstone of medicine.  This year, GHHS developed five pillars to encompass the vast reach of humanism in medicine. Each pillar has an overarching theme with members working on projects that focus on advancing these themes at UMass Chan. 1. Advancing & Transforming Medical Education 2. Wellness for Students and Residents 3. Community Outreach and Advocacy 4. Honoring Identity, Self and Diversity  5. Humanism and Narrative Medicine.

• Health Professionals for Human Rights (HPHR)

  • Health Professionals for Human Rights is the UMass student chapter of Physicians for Human Rights. Through advocacy and action, we work to alleviate human rights abuses abroad and domestically. Our largest project is the student-run Worcester Asylum Clinic which provides physical and psychological medical evaluations to supplement our clients' asylum applications.

• JewMass

  • JewMass is UMass Chan’s Jewish organization serving everyone on the campus. We partner with local Jewish organizations to put on a variety of events celebrating Jewish culture, holidays, perspectives, and more. Whether you’re looking to connect with Jewish peers and faculty or to learn about Judaism, we’d love to see you at any of our events!

• Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA)

  • LMSA is committed to fostering the relationship and advancement of Latin-identifying students at UMass Chan. We aim to create a welcoming atmosphere for all who want to be involved. Our efforts hope to embrace those already at UMass Chan and those who looking to be part of UMass Chan.

• Medical Alliance for South Asian Learning and Advancement (MASALA)

  • M.A.S.A.L.A (Medical Alliance for South Asian Learning and Advancement) is an organization that brings students and faculty from similar cultural backgrounds together to connect via shared experiences while also showcasing our culture for increased intersectionality on campus. On top of being a social organization hoping to create a warm, hospitable setting for those coming to UMass Chan and wanting a space to celebrate their culture, we also hope to be able to have open discussion about particular experiences that medical students and faculty of this common background and identity may share while developing a career in medicine.

• Medical Students for Choice (MSFC)

  • Medical Students for Choice (MSFC) is a national organization with the goal of creating tomorrow's abortion providers and pro-choice physicians. UMass Chan’s Chapter of MSFC holds information sessions about reproductive health including abortion, hosts procedure trainings for manual vacuum aspiration and non-scalpel vasectomy, provides opportunities to shadow abortion providers, and facilitates involvement in local advocacy and policy discussion.

• Middle Eastern and North African Student Association

  • The Middle Eastern & North African Student Association (MENASA) is a student group designed to create a community for all those who identify as having ties or interest in MENA-culture. We strive for an inclusive community that celebrates culture, encourages dialogue, raises awareness, and invests in the local MENA-community.

• NERD: Neuroscience Education Regarding Divergence

  • To foster a supportive, inclusive, and educational environment spreading tools and awareness for the neurodivergent community

• Non-English Speaking Clinical Care Interest Group

  • The Non-English Speaking Clinical Care Interest Group (NESC-IG) aims to teach and immerse students in medicine as seen through the eyes of non-English speaking patients. Through a variety of activities held throughout the year, including panels with interpreters and providers who work with non-English speaking patients, as well as opportunities to work with our Worcester community, we will learn about the importance of cultural humility and build a set of skills to use as future healthcare workers providing for diverse populations.

• North American Indigenous Health Interest Group

  • The North American Indigenous Health (NAIH) Interest Group is a coalition of students working towards greater health equity by educating ourselves and other medical providers about the unique responsibilities we owe to North American Indigenous groups and the impact of generational inequities on Indigenous health today. 

• Organized Medicine (OrgMed)

  • As physicians we are trained to identify the factors that influence our patient’s health, many of which include social barriers, health care system delivery, and current public policy. As such, physicians should advocate for positive change on behalf of the health and well-being of our patients. Organized Medicine collaborates with organizations such as the American Medical Association (AMA), Massachusetts Medical Society (MMS), Worcester District Medical Society (WDMS), and American Medical Student Association (AMSA) to represent the physician and trainee perspectives on topics ranging from racial justice to medical education. With these partnerships, students have the opportunity to write and review policy, meet with their local or state elected officials, learn more about health care policy, and are empowered to make changes in their community.

• QMass

  • QMass is a student interest group committed to making UMass Chan a more LGBTQIA+ inclusive and supportive place for students, patients, and community members. Our mission is to provide resources, hold community events, and spearhead advocacy initiatives to build connections, raise awareness, and promote the well-being and acceptance of LGBTQIA+ individuals both within and connected with UMass Chan. In addition, QMass aims to provide professional, emotional, and social support for students at UMass who identify as LGBTQIA+ or who are interested in LGBTQIA+ related topics. We are committed to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion across the curriculum, students, and faculty at UMass Chan Medical School. QMass West is the PURCH/Baystate chapter of the QMass LGBTQIA+ group. QMass West is based at Baystate and is focused on the above goals with regards to PURCH students, faculty, and community members, as well as general T.H. Chan School of Medicine students rotating at Baystate. Similar to the main QMass group, QMass West aims to increase advocacy for LGBTQIA+ patients, students, and community members, promote LGBTQIA+ health education, and provide resources for LGBTQIA+ T.H. Chan School of Medicine community members. 

• Refugee Health Interest Group

  • The goal of the Refugee Health Interest Group is to identify and serve the unique needs of new refugee arrivals and current refugee families resettled by the Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Center (RIAC) in Worcester. The Refugee Health Interest group pairs UMass Chan students with refugee families in need of help navigating medical and social resources to assist in the resettlement process. Additionally, the Refugee Health Interest Group provides medical students with the opportunity to shadow physicians at the Family Health Center of Worcester (FHCW) to gain cultural understanding and global health clinical experiences. The Refugee Health Interest Group plans on forming a formal four-way partnership with the RIAC, ACE, and FHCW to streamline all refugee health efforts between UMass Chan and the Worcester community.

• Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)

  • Helping minorities understand, attain, and succeed in STEM. Promote diversity and inclusion institutionally and in neighboring communities

• Student National Medical Association (SNMA)

  • The Student National Medical Association (SNMA) is the nation's oldest and largest student organization focusing on the interests and concerns of students of color. SNMA is committed to supporting both current & future underrepresented minority medical students, addressing the needs of underserved communities, and increasing the number of culturally competent & socially conscious physicians.

• UMass Chan Coalition for Climate Action

  • Climate change is the greatest global public health crisis of our generation as evidenced by the increasing incidence of natural disasters, heat-waves, ocean rise, food instability, and the changing patterns of infectious diseases. Importantly, rising global temperatures disproportionately affect vulnerable populations such as children, elderly, and individuals with predisposing illnesses. International efforts are lacking in attempts to curb the climate crisis so it is imperative that swift action be taken on an individual and organizational level. As future healthcare providers, we must not only be educated about the effects of climate change but also use our collective voice to generate institutional change to better serve our patients. The UMass Chan Coalition for Climate Action aims to bring awareness to the climate crisis, educate current and future physicians to the health effects of climate change, and collaborate with the UMass Chan Medical School administration and other student organizations to bring more sustainability initiatives to both the UMass and greater Worcester communities.

• UMass Chan American Muslim Medical Student Association

  • The UMass Chan Medical School American Muslim Medical Student Association provides for the first time an avenue of interaction and discourse amongst Muslims and all others throughout the medical school system within Worcester, including those in the UMass Memorial Healthcare system. We aim to be a source of local events, whether in the form of celebrating Islamic holidays, volunteering efforts for cultural immersion, or learning more about Islam and its tenets. We invite those who work or study on the campus, whether as medical students, residents, nurses, physicians, professors, or other healthcare workers. In particular, this group is open to all, as we hope to establish elements of cultural humility, understanding, and interfaith. We also aim to promote awareness of issues that affect Muslims throughout today’s world and in the process aim to shed light on our collective human nature. Welcome!

• UMass Chan Nurses for Sexual and Reproductive Health

  • The purpose of this organization shall be to provide students with the education, tools, and resources necessary to become skilled care providers and social-change agents within the healthcare system as it relates to sexual and reproductive justice.

• UMass Chan Christian Fellowship (UCF)

  • UMass Chan Christian Fellowship (UCF) is a community of Christ-seeking students, staff, and clinicians at UMass Chan Medical School: T.H. Chan School of Medicine, Tan Chingfan Graduate School of Nursing, and Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. UCF is a chapter of the Christian Medical and Dental Association (CMDA). We exist to love others and to tell everyone about the redemptive finished work of Jesus Christ. Weekly Bible studies are available through this group!

• UMass Chan Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA)

  • UMass Chan APAMSA is a chapter of a national organization. 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.

• White Coats for Black Lives

  • Our work at UMass Chan Medical School focuses specifically on cultivating a culture that supports and celebrates Black, Latinx, and Indigenous learners, raises awareness of racism as a public health crisis, and building capacity across the entire campus community to center the needs and perspectives of patients and community members of color.

• MassAHEC Urban Health Scholars Longitudinal Enrichment Elective

  • The goal of the Urban Health Scholars Longitudinal Enrichment Elective is to encourage student interest in primary care, particularly to serve culturally and linguistically diverse, traditionally underserved populations.  The longitudinal elective, spanning four years of medical school, is partnered with the Rural Health Scholar Longitudinal Enrichment Elective; both are supported by MassAHEC. In T.H. Chan School of Medicine Year 1, students complete didactic and experiential opportunities related to urban health and be assigned an LPP at an urban health center.  The students will meet regularly with faculty to reflect on and process what they are learning and the implications for their future profession; attaining mastery includes repeated reinforcement and ongoing reflection. Students will be supported in the development of a Capstone and Summer Assistantship. In T.H. Chan School of Medicine Year 2, the students will participate in 5-10 hours of didactic/experiential opportunities with the incoming class, continue their LPP placement and Capstone. Students will be prioritized for a Population Health Clerkship which responds to their interest. In T.H. Chan School of Medicine Years 3 and 4, students will strengthen their leadership skills by co-leading the seminars and skills sessions, complete their Family Medicine clerkship, urban health FCEs, Capstone and present/publish as opportunities arise (e.g. Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, National Association of Community Health Centers). Students will be supported by Kendra Marien, MSW, Director, Central MA AHEC (faculty appointment in process), Linda Cragin, MS, Director, MassAHEC and Warren Ferguson, MD, MassAHEC Medical Director, and family medicine faculty based at their LPP sites.  Suzanne Cashman, ScD, as co-director of the Rural Health Scholars Longitudinal Enrichment Elective and evaluator of the AHEC grant is also significantly involved.

Humanities (Art, Music, and Wellness)

• CARE Committee

  • The CARE (Collaborative Advocacy for Resilience and Empathy) Committee is a medical student committee affiliated with the UMass Chan Committee of Student Well-Being. We strive to promote diverse wellness efforts in small, meaningful doses to medical students at the T.H. Chan School of Medicine. We work with and help support various student organizations and OEEs to further their promotion of wellness on campus. Each semester typically has 5 sessions which run from 5:30pm-8:00pm. The session begins with a collaborative cooking experience where all the involved students cook a meal while learning new recipes, incorporating alternative ingredients, and acquiring new culinary skills that can be incorporated into daily practice. Following the cooking segment, everyone joins together and eats while a guest speaker joins and shares their knowledge about the specific topic of the session. These topics have included: Food insecurity, cooking for diabetes, cooking for IBD, Prenatal health, and an introduction to plant-based eating. This OEE welcomes all students from any of the 3 schools in UMass. No prior cooking experience is necessary!

• Docapella

  • Docapella is an interprofessional acapella group that seeks to bring healing through song. We believe that the physician is more than a scientist, but also a person and a musician. The goals of our group are: to bring together UMass Chan community members of all interests through a capella singing; to bring joy to the UMass Chan community, including patients; and to use the power of song to promote healing and interpersonal connection.

• MedMoth

  • Adapted from The Moth storytelling radio show and podcast, Med Moth was established by medical students at UMass Chan in 2016 to provide a forum for those in the medical community to share reflections on their experiences in medicine. The goal of Med Moth is to promote humanism in medicine through storytelling by all members of the UMass Chan medical community. In the past we have heard from a diverse variety of voices including the Chief of Pediatric Surgery, registered nurses, and medical students. Our events are very simple. We typically have 6-8 speakers share 5-10 minute stories. Past talks have been about the speaker's journey into medicine, meaningful patient encounters, or other experiences that have shaped their personal or professional identity in health care. Some have been humorous (a horrible first day of internship) and others have been more serious (coping with the guilt of making a medical error). This provides the opportunity for individuals to not only reflect, but also learn from the diverse perspectives and experiences of their peers.

• UMass Chan Chess Club

  • We intend to provide students who choose to join an opportunity to play chess with other students. Chess boards/pieces are expensive and it is difficult to find other people to play with. We will provide that infrastructure for people as well as providing a fun place to come and relax once a week.

Optional Enrichment Elective (OEE)

*Our office is in the process of updating this list and will have an accurate listing for the 2024-25 Academic Year by August 1st.* 

Please visit the OEE Sharepoint for more information on all of the offered OEEs. https://umassmed.sharepoint.com/sites/oee

• Advancements in Clinical Neuroscience
  • The Advancements in Clinical Neuroscience OEE is designed to expose students to the interdisciplinary nature of neuroscience and recent clinical advancements in the management of complex neurological disorders. The OEE will feature seminars and discussions with faculty in a myriad of specialties, including neurosurgery, ENT, neuropsychiatry, and more. Through this OEE, we hope students will gain a deeper appreciation for the dynamic nature of the frontiers of neuroscience, improve their critical thinking skills through exposure to primary research, and recognize that treating patients with neurological disorders requires perspectives from various medical specialties.
  • OEE Description link
• A Nurse Shadowing Initiate for Medical Students
  • Nurse Shadowing will allow medical students to get more practice with bedside skills such as medication administration, vitals, wound care, respiratory support, hygiene, and patient education. These are skills that aren't emphasized in the med school curriculum but would be very helpful during rotations and beyond.
    It would also provide an opportunity for medical students to better understand the role of the nurse on the healthcare team to improve their interactions and relationships with nurses down the line. Doctors and nurses both play important roles on the medical team and understanding each other's responsibilities and relative scopes of practice will allow for a better dynamic
  • OEE Description Link
• Art for the Physician OEE

  • This OEE will be a unique opportunity for undergraduate medical students to explore the integration of medicine and the visual arts. Art is an extremely useful tool for physicians. Physicians can use art to communicate complex procedures and medical concepts to patients, to provide therapy to patients, or to raise awareness about issues in healthcare. Physicians can also use art for self-reflection, well-being, and prevention of burnout. Students will learn about the history and importance of medical illustrators and art therapists. Students will also gain basic art skills in the context of medical illustration, graphic medicine, and art therapy. Students will be able to practice and use these skills to create a final project showcasing what they have learned during the OEE.

  • OEE Description Link
• Care of the Seriously Ill
  • Caring for the Seriously Ill (CSI) is an elective course that has been offered to SOM and GSN students for more than 25
    years. CSI utilizes several components to teach this material:
    − Whole group exercises: 5-6 of these are held on Wednesday evenings (5:30 to 7:00 p.m.) spread over the fall.
    We focus on listening to the lived experience of patients, caregivers and health care providers who are invited
    to speak and tell their stories. The sessions may comprise panel discussions, interactive didactic presentations,
    or narrative medicine exercises. Topics typically include: Overview of Hospice and Palliative Care, Sharing Difficult News, Pediatric Palliative Care, Cultural and Spiritual Aspects of Palliative Care, and Being with Suffering and Cultivating Resiliency.
    − Readings relevant to the content of each Whole-Group session are distributed (by e-mail) in advance of that
    session.
    − Interactive small group sessions/skills workshops to practice palliative care skills and debriefs
  • OEE Description Link
• Care of Women and Marginalized Genders OEE

  • The goals of the Care of Women and Marginalized Genders optional enrichment elective are to facilitate a discussion about current topics in women’s medical care and provide a more in-depth knowledge of medical concerns, social constructs, and environmental factors that primarily affect the health of women and all gender identities.

  • OEE Description Link
• Caring for Cancer Patients and Their Families
  • This optional enrichment elective (OEE) aims to inform medical and nursing students about the many physical and psycho-social challenges that accompany a cancer diagnosis for patients and their loved ones. Through this elective, students will gain a concrete understanding of the unique concerns of specific populations, such as adolescent patients or parents with young children who have been diagnosed with cancer. They will also learn about  particular topics within oncology that are important considerations when caring for these patients, such as fertility in cancer treatment and cancer survivorship. Participation in this elective will equip students with an understanding beyond the pathology of the disease and will enable future clinicians to more effectively care for not only patients with cancer, but also their families and anyone with life-limiting and chronic disease. Several presenters will also touch on their research experiences within the field of psycho-oncology.
  • OEE Description Link
• Case Management: Implications of Social Determinants of Health
  
  • Provide medical students the opportunity to learn about resources in our community to address the SDOH of our patient population. Additionally, the OEE will prepare students to volunteer as case managers at Worcester Free Care Collaborative clinics.
  • OEE Description Link
• Climate Health and Action
  • The goal of this OEE is to expand medical students’ understanding of the environment as a determinant of health in order to better prepare future physicians to address growing health burdens related to climate change and to encourage advocacy for environmental protection as it relates to public health and medicine. To this end we will organize six lectures given by experts in various intersections of medicine and climate change. Students will attend lectures and write a brief reflection at the end of the semester.
  • OEE Description Link
• Culinary Medicine OEE
  • The culinary medicine elective is an interactive cooking experience to gain skills for self-care as a physician, and learn how to guide patients in preventing and healing disease with food in a budget-friendly manner. Throughout our medical school career, we spend a significant amount of time learning about the remarkable treatments, medications, and therapies that we can administer to patients in need. Although this information is important and necessary to learn, our medical school curriculum falls short when it comes to educating us about nutrition and its vital role in health and well-being. In the Culinary Medicine OEE, our goal is to help fill in some of these gaps by creating a space where interested students can cook healthy plant-based meals together at the Shaw Teaching Kitchen and learn from experienced faculty, guest speakers, and students who share their wealth of knowledge regarding nutrition and holistic living. In addition, we also emphasize the importance of cultural humility when making these nutritional recommendations.
  • OEE Description Link
• Disability Perspective OEE

  • More than 25% of the United States qualifies as disabled.  However, despite being the largest minority, disability is still rarely addressed in medical education. This OEE endeavors to expand the understanding of the rich, complex culture and history of disability in the United States.  From the disability rights movement to the intricate system of special education and IEPs, this course will teach participants about the realities of being disabled in this country.  We feel exposure to the experiences of people with disabilities, both healthcare related and not, is important for future providers to understand some of the perspectives of patients impacted by disability.  This OEE will delve into the complexities of advocacy and medical decision making but it will also highlight the joy and beauty of the disability community.  Furthermore, each session will include the perspectives of people with disabilities, giving learners the chance to interact directly with a population that is rarely given a platform to share their own experience.

  • OEE Description Link
• Exercise: The New Vital Sign
  • The goal of this elective is to educate medical students on the role that physical activity plays in
    medicine. Exercise has shown to have physiological, psychological, and emotional benefits in both
    healthy and disease-state patients. It can be used as both prevention and treatment of disease,
    however, many practitioners fail to incorporate it into their health care or treatment plans. This OEE will
    help medical students understand the importance of exercise on improving health status and outcomes,
    allowing them to build a strong foundation to integrate exercise in treatment plans in the future.
  • OEE Description Link
• Hands-On: Exploring Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
  • The primary objective of this OEE is to increase exposure to and provide a stronger understanding of the field of plastic surgery amongst first and second year medical students at UMass Chan. In order to fulfill these objectives, we are excited to offer a range of hands-on activities with the aid of UMass plastic surgeon Dr. Giorgio Giatsisis and his RECISE lab. Some of the proposed activities include: injection simulation with silicone breast task trainer, suture clinics with task trainers, and a leadership-made simulation of emergency burn care. Additionally, we are looking forward to engaging the group of students in meetings with current plastic surgery residents and attendings at UMass and to introduce them to a range of plastic surgery specialists across the country. We aim to keep this OEE on the smaller side with an emphasis on in-person learning with the goal of facilitating collaborative, interactive, and engaging sessions.
  • OEE Description Link 
• Health Systems Science (HSS) OEE

  • Traditionally, undergraduate medical education has been based upon a two-pillar model: basic science and clinical science. In recent years, various medical schools have taken steps to incorporate a third pillar into their medical curriculums, termed “health systems science (HSS).” In this third science, medical students gain an understanding of the system of healthcare delivery, including health policy and economics, quality improvement, value-based care, interprofessional care, social determinants of health, and healthcare technology among others. Exposure to these topics will prepare students to navigate the complex landscape of modern medical practice.

    Although our current medical curriculum smoothly integrates some of these topics, such as social determinants of health, many of the aforementioned topics are more vaguely addressed, even as VISTA includes HSS as a curriculum pillar. Through the elective, we will define and explain the current health system that we are a part of both locally and nationally, how we got here, and where we may be headed. We will build on of-the-moment topics in healthcare, including AI and wearable technology in medicine and the potential for a single-payer health system in the US. Furthermore, we plan to delve into more specific topics to inform students on the foundations of health care financing, how financing affects health care delivery, how the biotechnical and pharmaceutical markets play a role, and how health economics advises the field.

  • OEE Description Link
• Impact of Illness on Family Caregivers
  • Healthcare providers not only must assist patients in the management of their conditions, but also often interact with those patients’ families and loved ones who act as caregivers as well. Caregivers provide billions of dollars worth of unpaid medical care to sick family members, but medical students in the preclinical years do not get extensive experience interacting with these individuals. This OEE will attempt to equip students with the knowledge and skills to better interact with, support, and work together with caregivers, with a focus on the impacts of neurocognitive disease.
  • OEE Description Link
• Introduction to Robotic Surgery 
  • “Introduction to Robotic Surgery” is an elective designed to introduce medical students to robotic surgery and its utility in various surgical specialties. In this OEE, students will gain exposure to various surgical fields that utilize a robotic approach to treating surgical disease. Participants will attend talks hosted by faculty discussing their use of robotics, practice surgical skills on the DaVinci trainer robot in the simulation lab, participate in skills sessions hosted by residents and faculty, learn to make surgical educational videos, and create a surgical educational video. Finally, students will gain access to faculty mentors in robotic surgery based on their specialty and career interests.
  • OEE Description Link
• Introduction to Substance Use Disorder with a Patient Perspective
  • The goal of the Substance Use Disorder Optional Enrichment Elective is to increase awareness and understanding of substance use disorders, with particular emphasis on the impact of substance use on the patient, the patient’s family and friends, and the community as a whole. The course will introduce students to patients, physicians, community agencies, and government agencies to highlight the wide-reaching effects of substance use as well as the systems in place to support patients in need. Lectures, panels, and group discussions will be utilized to engage students in understanding the complexity of substance use and its many facets.
     
    At the end of the course, students should be able to define substance use disorder and discuss treatment approaches. Students should also be able to describe the challenges faced by patients with substance use disorder and the impact of substance use on the patient, the patient’s close contacts, and the greater community. Finally, students should be able to critically assess the systems available for treating substance use disorder.
  • OEE Description Link
• Jewish Medical Ethics
  • This course is designed to introduce students to the rich tradition of Jewish medical ethics with sources culled from the Bible, Talmud, Responsa and Code of Jewish Law. Medical ethics are a key component of a physician’s life and this course aims to give students a foundation upon which they can build throughout their lives.
  • OEE Description Link
• Medical Creative Writing in Medical School
  • The focus of the elective is to use reflective writing, including essays, creative nonfiction, poetry and short fiction, to sharpen your powers of observation, description and analysis. We have found the writing process to be a valuable method of reflection, enhancing participants’ ability to understand – from their own perspective and that of others – the experience of becoming a doctor. Writing about encounters with patients, faculty, other health care providers, peers and family and sharing the writing in a supportive group setting, facilitates mindfulness and deepens understanding of how these experiences influence one’s personal and professional development.
  • OEE Description Link
• Medical Interviewing in Spanish
  • The Medical Spanish Elective aims to support current healthcare students with an intermediate/advanced background of Spanish language fluency in developing the clinical skills necessary to facilitate a clinical encounter in Spanish. The curriculum will parallel what is being taught in the student’s Anatomy (DSF) and DCS courses. Specifically, the session schedule will prepare students to take a History of Present Illness, Past Medical History, a complete Review of Systems, and Motivational Interviewing in Spanish. Each course will begin with a clinical presentation by a physician or faculty member on the session-specific vocabulary, grammar objectives, past medical history, and interview objectives. Then the class will divide into pairs and practice specific scenarios with each other and a Standardized Patient to solidify learning. The Medical Spanish Elective will also include cultural events in collaboration with other UMass OEEs and the Caring for Non-English Speaking Patients Student Interest Group (NESC-IG). In addition, students will learn how to appropriately work alongside interpreters and have the opportunity to assist in Spanish with UMass Vaccine Corps initiatives as well as shadow and assist with interpreting in the Worcester Free Clinics. This program aims to help students gain the necessary language skills and cultural awareness to better serve Spanish-speaking patients, a recognized underrepresented community in Worcester and Massachusetts. The OEE will run in the fall and then again in the spring with a new group of students.
  • OEE Description Link
• Medical Portuguese
  • This OEE is focused on building both language proficiency and cultural competency of students in regards to the Brazilian / Portuguese speaking population in Worcester. Sessions will be provided in hybrid format with some sessions taking place in person while others virtually. Sessions will start with lecture based learning followed by standardized patient practice with common clinical scenarios.
  • OEE Description Link
• Medicine in a Global Setting
  • The overall purpose of this OEE is expose students to the different avenues in which they can participate in Global Health as medical professionals. The objective is to increase medical students', residents', and physicians' knowledge about practicing medicine in an international setting and to stimulate interest in global health through various specialties and departments.
  • OEE Description Link
• Music and Medicine

  • The Music and Medicine curriculum contains a number of modules about specific topics in music and healing. These topics include:  
    − Reasons for studying music and medicine  
    − Music and the mind and brain  
    − Music as a field of medical humanism  
    − Music and healing: How music therapists work  
    − Music and communities   
    − Music and illness: Occupational health of musicians   
    − Combining music and medicine in medical school     
    Each module has a list of goals, objectives, core competencies addressed, classroom activities, speakers.   Some activities include:  
    − Invited guest speakers, particularly UMass faculty and patients/patient families  
    − Group outings to musical events and shadowing music therapists  
    − Coordinating wellness concert for the UMass Chan community  
    − Practice listening and interpreting music to improve empathy, and how to employ this skill in the patient
    encounter  
    − Experience and practice how music uses non-verbal skills to communicate amongst musicians and build
    teamwork  
    − Learn about how community based music groups enhance a community’s well-being and explore how music
    used for healing has been used for advocacy and social justice  
    − Study cross-cultural perspectives on music and healing (e.g., drum circles, drumming for PTSD, Native
    American healing music, etc)  
    − Invite physicians who have combined a career in music and medicine to speak

    Overall course goals include:  
    − Recognize how music can be used to promote health, healing, and well-being   
    − Describe how music has been incorporated into the field of medical humanism  
    − Discuss how the study of music and cognition has contributed to improved understanding of neurology and
    brain science  
    − Examine in depth how music can be used therapeutically in clinical settings  
    − Explain what doctors can learn from musicians and how music can enhance the education of physicians

  • OEE Description Link
• Narratives and Medicine

  • In the last ten years, a growing number of medical institutions have established narrative
    medicine curricula as a training method for healthcare providers.1 Research demonstrates the
    efficacy of such training. In October 2013, the American Association for the Advancement of
    Science published a study demonstrating that readers of literary fiction performed better on tests
    of affective and cognitive theory of mind compared with those who read nonfiction, popular
    fiction, or nothing at all.2 Theory of mind tests measure the ability of an individual to detect and
    understand another person’s knowledge, beliefs, emotions, and intentions, and use that
    understanding to navigate social situations. Recent social psychology research suggests that
    “narratives, when compared with reporting statistical evidence alone, can have uniquely
    persuasive effects in overcoming preconceived beliefs and cognitive biases.”3 Through narrative
    medicine programs, providers can become equipped to deliver more empathetic, compassionate,
    culturally-sensitive, and ultimately, higher quality care.

    This course will explore the power of narratives—in written, oral, and visual forms—to
    shape the way we, as medical students, conceptualize and practice medicine. The care of the sick
    unfolds in stories and effective healthcare demands the ability to recognize, absorb, interpret, and
    engage with the stories of others.

    In each session, students will be asked to critically examine portions of short stories,
    poems, articles, research, and other narrative forms. As students read, write, and reflect together,
    we will use the skills of close reading and listening for different perspectives and challenge each
    other to practice medicine with the parallel skills of attentive listening and empathy. Our
    selection of stories will explore themes such as race, gender, cultural identity, and mental health.

    There will be two components to each workshop: close reading and group discussion.
    Participants are encouraged to read or listen to the assigned narrative(s) before the session.
    Course instructors will provide prompts to guide students to think critically about the assigned
    readings in preparation for the group discussion to follow. Our intent is to help students organize
    their thoughts and foster richer conversation. The group, including the faculty, will reflect and
    explore the works together.

  • OEE Description Link
• Pride and Practice: Queer Health for the Modern Med Student
  • This OEE provides a medium for medical students to learn more about specific issues faced by members of  the LGBTQ+ community in order to better care for these individuals, including intersex health, PrEP, sexual  intercourse, gender affirmation surgery, LGBTQIA+ primary care, trans and non-binary health, and more.
  • Link to be provided/updated when published
• Primary Care Principles (PCP)
  • This OEE is designed to advance UMass Medical School students’ interest in patient-centered primary care, to help them understand how they can be active participants in the transformation of our health care system, and to help them become advocates for both primary care and system transformation. Primary Care is defined as the provision of integrated, accessible health care services by clinicians who are accountable for addressing the large majority of personal health care needs, developing a sustained partnership with patients, and practicing in the context of family and community (IOM 1994).
  • OEE Description Link
• Principles of peer-reviewed literature: An interdisciplinary academic student journal club
  • Medical students will meet one to two times per month to discuss published academic literature. During each meeting, a guest speaker will present on key topics to teach medical students the intricate process of study design, execution, manuscript preparation, peer-review, publication, and article interpretation. Students will participate in interactive activities to practice scoring and  submitting articles. At the end of each session, 2-3 students will each present a published journal article of their choosing to peers and moderate a brief constructive discussion. Through these sessions, students will gain skills to prepare for collaborative involvement in future academic research, presentation, and peer-review contributions.
  • OEE Description Link
• Psychiatry: Defining the Mind
  • The goals of this OEE are to provide students with a deeper understanding of psychiatry, introduce them to current topics and research in this rapidly developing field, equip students with clinically applicable tools in establishing relationships with psychiatry patients, and explore the intersections of psychiatry with other medical fields such as neurology, obstetrics and gynecology, and more.
  • OEE Description Link
• Sidekicks
  • The SIDEKICKS program matches first and second year medical students with children who are undergoing treatment for life threatening illnesses. Students have the opportunity to form lasting relationships with their buddy and experience medical care from the patient perspective. The individual buddy experience is supplemented with a discussion-based curriculum that focuses on palliative care, the patient and parent experience, and cultural sensitivity.
  • OEE Description Link
• Treating the Athlete
  • Athletes constitute a unique patient population that often requires coordinated care across a multitude of specialties. This course will consist of seven lectures on various aspects of caring for athletes—including game coverage, evaluating athletic performance, procedural and surgical solutions to athletic injuries, etc. To highlight the hands-on aspect of treating athletes, the elective will also include an optional in-person session with a sports medicine provider.
  • OEE Description Link
• Wilderness Medicine and Recreational Emergencies
  • The Wilderness Medicine OEE will engage students through in-person activities, scenarios, and discussions with experts to develop knowledge of providing medicine in under-resourced settings.
  • OEE Description Link
• Worcester Community and Public Health
  • The elective will introduce UMMS medical, nursing, and biomedical science students to a broad range of public health issues affecting the community in which they live, study, and train by actually going out into the community and experiencing the resources for yourself. At each session, students will have the opportunity to interact and network with students from other health professions and engage in a discussion specific to that session. Through site visits and on-campus speaker sessions, students will also have a chance to meet and interact with current professional experts in the field who are passionate about improving community health
  • OEE Description Link
• Wound Healing and Wound Management: Essential Practical Principles for Medical Students and Physicians
  • Although this course is particularly relevant for medical students interested in a career in surgery (Plastic Surgery, Vascular Surgery, General Surgery, Orthopedics), internal medicine, diabetology, geriatrics, or family medicine, it can provide helpful knowledge to those pursuing almost any medical career.
  • Link to provided/updated when published

Sports and Fitness

• Medicine in Motion

  • Our group is a branch of a larger organization that has chapters across New England. Our goal is to get healthcare students and professionals at UMass involved in fitness events. Be on the lookout for a race schedule, group training events, nutrition classes, and more! Medicine in Motion is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with multiple chapters across New England that aims to fight burnout in the medical field. Membership is composed of a diverse group of healthcare providers, and our mission is to address medical burnout through fitness, interdisciplinary community building, and philanthropy. We encourage healthy lifestyles and fitness among medical professionals to optimize performance and patient care, reduce medical burnout, and provide better and healthier examples for our patients.

• Plantation 2 Peak: UMass Chan Medical School Outing Club

  • We aim to share our love for the outdoors with all interested members in the UMass Chan community - whether you are a seasoned mountaineer or you are interested in going on your first hike. We lead hikes at various levels and in all seasons, locally and in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. We also host workshops and gear demonstrations to educate members on safe hiking practices in all seasons. Our monthly trips provide an opportunity to meet other students from all three schools, while enjoying safe and challenging adventures that serve as an excellent break from your studies. Email the student leaders to sign up for our mailing list.

• UMass Chan Barbell Club

  • The UMass Chan Barbell Club is a group of medical students who enjoy spending their free time getting stronger and building lifelong healthy habits through strength training. We hope to provide an inclusive community to all, no matter prior experience, who are interested in any form of strength training; for example, powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, CrossFit, and strongman.

• UMass Chan Soccer Club

  • The UMass Chan Soccer Club is a group of medical students who enjoy spending their limited free time playing the world’s favorite sport. Any and all skill levels are welcome!

• UMass Chan Volleyball Club
  • The mission of the UMass Chan Medical School Volleyball Club is to promote wellness, teamwork, and inclusivity through the sport of volleyball. We aim to provide a supportive environment where students can develop their skills, engage in friendly competition, and forge lasting connections within the medical school community.

Student Government

• Graduate Student Body Committee (GSBC)

  • The purpose of the Graduate Student Body Committee will be to represent the graduate students of the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences to the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School faculty, administration, community, and to act as one of the student governments of the University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School. Nothing in this charter is meant to interfere with the right of any student or group of students to represent their interests directly to the student body, the GSBC, the administration, the faculty, or the UMCMS executive council. 

• Graduate Student Nursing Organization (GSNO)

  • The purpose of the GSNO shall be to foster and promote communication, cooperation, and continuity among graduate nursing, medical and biomedical science students, as well as with administration, faculty and staff. The GSNO board will support students, especially new students, during their time at Tan Chingfen Graduate School of Nursing by being their advocates to school leadership and providing them with fulfilling opportunities—both in school and in the community—to enhance their learning experience.

• Learning Communities

  • To integrate students, residents, and faculty into smaller communities to foster collaborative learning and mentoring relationships, so that we will teach and learn from one another as we progress in our careers in medicine.

• Student Body Committee (SBC)
  • The Student Body Committee (SBC) is the student representative government for the T.H. Chan School of Medicine and functions as the liason between students, faculty and administration. To find any SBC-related forms, including SBC funding request forms or new student group applications, please navigate here. Responsibilities of the SBC include: Allocating the Student Activities Fund that is collected as part of our tuition, Selecting students to represent our school on various school and hospital committees, Promoting a sense of unity between all students in the Chan School of Medicine, Representing the interests of the Chan School of Medicine on the Student Government Alliance between the 3 schools here at UMass Chan, the SBC collaborates with many student groups and works with the administration throughout the year on several initiatives that aim to improve and enrich the experiences of students here at UMass Chan Medical School.
• Student Government Alliance (SGA)

  • This is the student leadership body which advocates for students of all three schools at UMass Chan.