Community Outreach
SNMA Pre-Med Forum
The annual Student National Medical Association (SNMA) Pre-Med Forum hosts all pre-medical students wishing to gain valuable information about applying to medical school, medical school curriculum, and the life of a medical student and physician. Participants hear from medical students, faculty, and staff and participate in unique and fun workshops including gross anatomy, doing a history and physical, as well as practice with suturing.
Science Fusion
Science Fusion celebrates diverse accomplishments of local community members continues to inspire a new generation of young people. Science Fusion creates space within the museum for hands-on STEM learning stations hosted by individuals and organizations that identify with the communities Science Fusion celebrates: African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, American Indians and Asians. Medical Students presence at these events inspires a new generation of STEM leaders.
SNMA Health Fair
The Student National Medical Association (SNMA) Health Fair occurs annually in the spring to increase health education and awareness in underserved communities in the Twin Cities. We reach out to a broad proportion of the underserved community and provide information to improve the medical well being of our participants. One of our main goals is to equip our participants to take an active role in their health.
We partner with community organizations to provide free health screenings (blood pressure, eye screenings, oral screenings) as well as information on staying healthy. Services we have provided in the past include: Free dental screenings from Community Dental Care, blood pressure readings and information on healthy living from Fairview Health Services, educational information on MNsure from the Minneapolis Urban League as well as Somali Health Solutions, and many more services and information. We also have several physicians ready to answer any questions about participants’ health.
Physician Networking Event
The Physician Networking Event is an excellent opportunity for medical students from underrepresented backgrounds to connect with local physicians who are passionate about their work and eager to mentor medical students. The evening consists of a question and answer panel discussion followed by a networking reception where students have the opportunity to speak one-on-one with physicians.
High School Mentoring Program
The High School Mentorship Program is operated in partnership with the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity and the Student National Medical Association Twin Cities Chapter. Our aim is to promote and support underrepresented minority high school students as they pursue careers in the health professions by building relationships with current medical students to ensure their matriculation into institutions of higher education.
First year medical students are paired with freshman high school students allowing for the mentoring pairs to develop and work with each other for the four years of education. At the end of these four years, the students will attend each other's graduations. High School students are taken on tours of the University of Minnesota campus, aided with PSEO applications, and receive guidance on preparation for college and the college application process.
White Coats for Black Lives
White Coats for Black Lives is a medical student-run organization which began after the National White Coat Die-in demonstration that took place on December 10th, 2014. Our mission is to eliminate racial bias in the practice of medicine and recognize racism as a threat to the health and well-being of people of color by raising awareness of racism as a public concern, ending racial discrimination in medical care, and to prepare future physicians to be advocates for racial justice.
PRIDE in Healthcare
SNMA also partners with PRIDE in Healthcare to promote diversity through lunch lectures and student activities.
Promoting Recognition of Identity, Dignity, and Equality (PRIDE) in Healthcare’s main goal is to improve the conditions of healthcare for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) people and for those who may not identify as LGBTQ but who do not have strictly heteronormative sexual practices, sexual orientation, or gender identity. We hope to increase quality and quantity of LGBTQ content in medical education and raise awareness of LGBTQ health disparities and their causes while cooperating with professionals and community members to eliminate these disparities. Lastly, we aim to provide a social forum for LGBTQ/allied students and professionals in the health sciences.
In order to serve our peers, improve the health of the community, and combine our efforts with other organizations, we organize cultural competency workshops for our peers, seek experts for talks and panel discussions, examine school curricula and recommend changes, and partner with community organizations.