The American College of Physicians California Council of Student Members is the liaison between the internal medicine interest groups (IMIGs) and the state chapters of the American College of Physicians. Founded in 2016, it serves as a robust resource for medical students interested in internal medicine, as well as a valuable student voice for the ACP state and national organizations.
The goals of our organization are:
- To build an inter-school network of students interested in internal medicine
- To create continuity of ACP involvement throughout medical school
- To create a resource that IMIGs can refer to for membership advice, event ideas and information about ACP events
- To represent the interests and needs of California medical students
- To encourage scholarly work
- To network with residents and provide residency advice to medical students
The council remains active throughout the year with various initiatives to promote these goals throughout California. Current council projects include coordinating networking events for students at regional and national meetings, launching projects that promote physician wellness, and developing a curriculum to help students advocate health policy at the state and national level.
For more information about, or being involved with CCSM, please email us at acpccsm@gmail.com.
CCSM Initiatives
Wellness
The Wellness subcommittee is working to better understand the current wellness resources available to California medical students. We also intend to survey medical students to understand what is working and what can be improved in the wellness space. We are committed to breaking down stigma and creating a space where students can speak candidly about physical, mental, and emotional well-being.Advocacy
The Advocacy subgroup is composed of medical students from across the state working together to improve and empower peers in advocacy. Offerings are geared to prepare students for engagement in such events as the annual Leadership Days in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. Current projects include a chalk talk-style video series on health policy basics (ex. Public and private insurance, payment models, etc.) to increase student literacy in the underpinnings of our health care system and a one-pager “quick start” guide to advocating for patients (both pre-clinically and while on the wards), with much more planned!Women in Medicine
This newly formed subcommittee seeks to address the topic of how gender dynamics in the medical workplace affects the daily lives of physicians, patient care, and the medical system more broadly. The initial goal of the Women in Medicine group is to connect medical students in small in-person group settings with faculty who have experience and interest in this topic.Video Series on the Basics of the Health Care System
The medical students of the ACP California Council of Student Members made a 5-part video series about the basics of our health care system. It provides education about public insurance, private insurance, payment models, and what structures exist to care for the under-resourced. This may be a valuable tool for anyone who wants to teach trainees about these important topics or learn more themselves.
Council Leadership
2021-2022
President, Emily Siegel
University of California, San Francisco
Vice President, Sara Toulouie
Northstate University College of Medicine
Secretary, Janie Hu
St. George's University School of Medicine
Resident Advisors
Pooja Jaeel, MD and Brendan Kim, MD
Faculty Advisor
Tammy Lin, MD FACP MPH