5 EASY STEPS 1) Get connected nationally 2) Get connected locally 3) Recruit PMIG members 4) Plan meetings and activities 5) Attend the ACPM Annual Meeting 1) Get connected nationally To the Top 2) Get connected locally Contact your school's office of student activities Each school has its own set of rules and regulations with regards to starting a new interest group. Your office of student activities is a great place to start for getting the scoop on how to reserve rooms, fundraise, develop a website, advertise events, etc.
Contact your Dean of Student Affairs Contact your College of Public Health If your school has a College of Public Health nearby, contact its Dean and other faculty leaders. Many have concurrent MPH student groups, programming, speakers, and events that you can tap into.
Reach out to Preventive Medicine Physicians and Residents near you As an ACPM-MSS member, you can search the directories for physicians and residents in your area who may be willing to mentor your group, host sessions, and speak to students.
Contact your Preventive Medicine Residency Director
To the Top 3) Recruit PMIG members Establish a core group of officers Seek out a few innovative students who would like to help you out. In the early stages, this may mean self-appointing a President, Vice President, and Secretary. Your PMIG is like a choose-your-own-adventure; the officers will decide how the group functions and are responsible for planning meetings and events.
Advertising to the student body Toolbox An on-line "toolbox" of posters, pamphlets, and fliers is available on the MSS website. You can download and print these items for distribution. If you develop similar tools yourself and would like to share them with other students, be sure to let the National Officers know. There are also two slide shows available on-line that you can use as presentations.
Hit up orientation week, special events, fairs
To the Top 4) Plan meetings and activities Publicize Each time the PMIG meets, has a speaker, or hosts an event, you will need to advertise to attract students. This may take the form of posters, fliers, announcements or emails to the student body.
Meeting ideas How frequently you have meetings is up to you, but most shoot for 1-2 per month. They may take the form of having speakers, a panel of residents or physicians, workshops, or presentations.
Initial meetings should focus on answering common student questions: What is Preventive Medicine? What do physicians in Preventive Medicine do? What is the ACPM? Can I do a 4thyear elective rotation in Preventive Medicine? How do I apply for a residency or fellowship? What's up with the MPH degree?
You may hold meetings that address popular topics such as: Careers in Preventive Medicine International medicine/global health Health policy and advocacy Medical school curriculum and Public Health How to join the ACPM-MSS Mentorship Program
Food!
To the Top 5) Attend the ACPM Annual Meeting One of the most important things you can do is get students to the ACPM Annual Meeting! Not only is this a great networking opportunity, it's also a ton of fun! The ACPM Annual Meeting features cutting edge sessions in disease prevention and health promotion, Clinical Preventive Medicine, Public Health Practice, Healthcare Quality Improvement, Teaching Preventive Medicine, and Prevention Policy; special interest roundtables; keynote speakers; networking opportunities and much more!
Fundraising There are many options to help reduce cost of attendance: ACPM-MSS members receive a 60% discount on early bird Annual Meeting registration! "Future Leaders in Preventive Medicine Grant" opportunities Student Abstract Competition and Poster Session Room share at hotels
Check with your student activities office to see if there is money available to sponsor students or help subsidize travel costs.
Other potential sources of support: Dean of Student Affairs, College of Public Health, Preventive Medicine Residency Directors, physicians or alumni, local businesses, lab money to present your research.
ACPM Annual Meeting website
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