Student Government Association (SGA)

President

John Avendano

Treasurer

Nehar Damle

VP of Medical Education

Russell Caratenuto

VP of Surgical Education

Daniel Gallagher

VP of Multicultural Affairs

Deshae Jenkins

SPCC

Medhi Husaini

The Student Government Association (SGA) oversees all school-sponsored, student events and organizations. Completely student-run, SGA represents the entire Robert Wood Johnson Medical School student body and serves as the students’ voice to the administration. SGA serves as a direct link between students and the faculty, staff, and alumni. SGA also obtains the opinion of the student body regarding issues that come up throughout the year, and organizes town hall meetings to discuss these issues. SGA works closely with all of the student organization leaders in order to foster collaboration among student leaders, thereby creating meaningful large-scale events that meet the needs of the student body. SGA provides financial support to enable these many events. The Student Wellness branch of the College Advising Program is run by the SGA. Student Wellness programming is organized to promote the physical and mental well-being of the student body as well as to promote intra- and inter-class camaraderie.

American Medical Association (AMA)

President

Vineeth Amba

Treasurer

Adriano Taglietti

VPs of Legislative Affairs

Guersom Ralda, Shivani Ramolia, Michelle Zhao

VPs of Community Service

Hugh Bartlett, Katelyn Kinemitsu

VP of Philanthropy

Samantha Shave

VP of Medical Education Maureen Haque

The American Medical Association (AMA) is the strongest platform for physicians across the country and thus, its Medical Student Section (AMA-MSS) is one of the most important voices for students in medicine. Through AMA-MSS, students have access to a wide range of opportunities, from community involvement to spearheading initiatives on local, state, and national scales. We sponsor free community blood pressure screenings, health fairs, high school outreach, and more. At the medical school, we host activities to help students learn and have fun -- a Board Review Program, happy hours with other medical programs, and our Annual Charity Auction are just a few of our many events! Outside the medical school, AMA-MSS offers opportunities to work with other students, organizations, and legislative bodies to fight for patient and doctor rights. Students learn to research and draft legislative policy resolutions, and attend Advocacy Days and national conventions to support their work.

American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI)

Presidents

Charmi Rana, Anaika Singh

AAPI is the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School branch of a national organization that seeks to promote the excellence of the American physicians of South Asian origin. We do this by promoting cultural diversity in the medical school and also by coordinating community events that reaches out to the South Asian community. For instance, we organize the annual Diversity Show at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School which features dances, music, and cuisines of various cultures. We promote healthy dietary habits, mental health, and HIV education in the South Asian community through our outreach programs.

American Medical Student Association (AMSA)

Presidents

Jairan Sadeghi

Samantha Shave

The American Medical Student Association (AMSA) is the oldest and largest independent association of physicians-in-training in the United States, and is a student-governed, national organization. Our chapter is responsible for bringing a diverse array of resources to the student body of RWJMS, to benefit their medical school experience and enrich them as future physicians. AMSA sponsors the most number of events at RWJMS including some of the biggest and most attended ones such as MEDTalks and the Anatomy Memorial, and the organization encompasses a wide range of interests related to medicine. Subcommittees include: MEDTalks, Anatomy Memorial, Global Health, Health Policy and Equity, Disabilities Awareness, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), Race, Ethnicity, and Culture in Health (REACH), Gender and Sexuality, Community Outreach, RUSynapse, and Student Wellness.

American Medical Women's Association (AMWA)

Presidents

Mary Cawley

Pamela Ribeiro

The mission of the American Medical Women‘s Association (AMWA) is to improve the personal and professional well-being of its members and to increase the influence of women in all aspects of the medical profession. AMWA strives to accomplish these goals by offering personal support for members through networking, action on health issues, and providing information on career options and development. We offer the Women's Health elective to enhance awareness of women's issues. Our community service committee coordinates volunteer activities to allow AMWA members to develop closer bonds with each other as well as with the community. We also coordinate a week of events to both empower women and raise awareness about violence against women. We would like to encourage all medical students, regardless of gender, to join AMWA, as women's issues affect us all.

Association of Women Surgeons (AWS)

President

Chandler Berke

The mission of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Chapter of the Association of Women Surgeons is to inspire, encourage, and enable aspiring female surgeons to achieve their personal and professional goals. Lectures and panel discussions are held throughout the year for students to discuss topics in surgery, such as academic leadership, research, family planning, and pay and promotion equality. Students are invited to participate in research, mentoring, and shadowing with attending and resident surgeons. As a national organization, there are opportunities to publish and present research across the country and find mentors beyond our health care network.

Anesthesiology Interest Group (AIG)

President

Joanna Madej

Anesthesiology Interest Group promotes education, communication, advocacy, research, and networking among students and physicians. We allow medical students of all classes to come together and discuss the specialty. We serve as a forum for those who want to explore the specialty to discuss their interests and for all students to share their experiences and ideas for the group. Our organization provides our medical students with information about anesthesia as a specialty, connects them to anesthesia faculty and residents, and organizes more in-depth lectures/workshops on the skills that we should understand and benefit from in any specialty (i.e. intubations, art lines, epidurals, nerve blocks). We also organize shadowing opportunities and research for the students. Look out for our meetings and come join us to learn about the field of Anesthesiology!

Asian Pacific American Medical Students Association (APAMSA)

Presidents

Kevin Wang

Alan Sang

The RWJMS-APAMSA chapter is dedicated to ensuring cultural competency and sensitivity to the health care needs of Asians and Asian Americans through greater awareness of the unique health concerns that affect Asian populations. We are also committed to combating health disparities by organizing service activities that benefit local Asian communities. We are part of the larger APAMSA regional and national organizations, which provides our members opportunities to network with other Asian and Asian American physicians and medical students.

Bioethics Interest Group (BIG)

Presidents

Abhilasha Borad

Jen Geller

Juliana Kim

The Bioethics Interest Group (BIG) serves as an approachable bridge for those students who wish to further their knowledge and competency in ethics and related topics without having to commit to the DIBE. However, BIG events do count toward the lecture/event credits required by the DIBE. The BIG’s mission would be to expand education and training in bioethics through case discussions and a speaker series featuring physicians, ethicists, and other professionals facing ethical dilemmas in their practice. Our goal is for the RWJMS student body to become more compassionate and understanding individuals as they make the transition from medical student to physician.

Biomedical Entrepreneuriship Network (BEN)

Presidents

Tanushree Laud

Adriano Taglietti

The Rutgers Biomedical Entrepreneurship Network (BEN) is an organization that connects interdisciplinary health professionals with the resources necessary to practice entrepreneurial medicine and develop innovative health care solutions. Our mission is to execute on the following three pillars: EDUCATE: To train and inspire Rutgers medical students to become innovators in healthcare through inspirational talks, workshops and experiential learning opportunities. COLLABORATE: To facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration by building a cross-collegiate network at Rutgers that bridges the gap between the medical school, pharmacy school, business school, and other key stakeholders in healthcare innovation. ACCELERATE: To provide members with mentorship, resources, and funding to ideate, build prototypes, and commercialize their social or commercial ventures related to healthcare. To learn more, check out our website at: http://benrwj.com

Cardiothoracic Surgery Interest Group (CTSIG)

President

Hartej Singh

CTSIG

Caring Companions

President

Rebecca Chanin

Argit Marishta

Radhika Narasimhan

 The Caring Companion Initiative was founded in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its disproportionate impact on the geriatric population. Pandemics such as these can result in elderly community dwellers feeling more lonely and isolated, resulting in higher levels of depression and anxiety. This program hopes to allow students to hone their interpersonal skills with patients, while providing a listening ear to help care for the geriatric population during this trying time.

Cancer & Oncology Interest Group (COIG)

President

Siddharth Marwaha

Cancer is a disease that affects almost everyone in one way shape or form. COIG is a group that hopes to unite a community of medical students against this disease creating a community to raise awareness and provide inspiration. COIG also hopes to formulate a platform for specialists and researchers from both the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital and The Cancer Institute of New Jersey to educate the clinicians of tomorrow. Lectures, shadowing opportunities and panel discussions will be organized allowing medical students to develop deeper understandings of cancer and explore the field of oncology.

Christian Medical Association (CMA)

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Betsy Mathew

Christian Medical Association exists as a group for RWJMS students to meet together and discuss our faiths as well as what it looks like played out in our lives. We typically meet twice a month in a casual setting (during lunch) to exchange thoughts and ideas about a particular theme or scripture. We also plan a few events throughout each semester such as game nights, potluck dinners, or bowling. We are not formally associated with the national CMA organization. We welcome anyone and everyone is is interested!

Dermatology Interest Group (DIG)

President

Bianca Sanabria

The Dermatology Interest Group is designed for students interested in learning more about dermatology and helping those with skin disorders. This group facilitates the interaction of students with residents and faculty in dermatology through lunchtime lectures and organized shadowing opportunities for students. Lectures address topics such as what a dermatologist does and how to get into a dermatology residency, the pathology and treatment of common skin disorders, and current research trends in dermatology. The club's community outreach program works to teach local students about skincare and skin disorders.

Ear, Nose, and Throat Interest Group (ENTIG)

President

Yaerin Song

The Ear, Nose, and Throat interest group (ENTIG) serves as an outlet for students interested in pursuing a medical career in the field of otolaryngology. Otolaryngologists, or more commonly referred to as ENTs, are physicians who specialize in diseases pertaining to the ears, nose, and throat. The group hosts informative lunch lectures with ENT physicians and connects students for potential mentorship and research experiences. Through these lectures and opportunities, students gain a broad knowledge of the ENT field and its subspecialties, as well as its current research and advances in the field.

Emergency Medicine Interest Group (EMIG)

Presidents

Pasquale Gencarelli

Joseph DeMarzo

EMIG is a student-run interest group which aims to provide students with numerous opportunities to learn first-hand about the exciting field of Emergency Medicine. Throughout the year, EMIG offers a number of informative and fun lunchtime lectures on topics such as toxicology, how to read an EKG, and bioterrorism, in addition to residency seminars, opportunities for ED physician shadowing and paramedic ride-alongs. EMIG also sponsors a number of exciting, hands-on workshops such as a resuscitation lab and a suturing session, which provide students with the opportunity to learn and practice clinical skills.

Exploring Pharmaceutical Industry Careers (EPIC)

Presidents

Suma Mallepeddi

Birk Olson

Ron Vertsman

Eileen Lee

Adriano Taglietti

Experiencing Pharmaceutical Industry Careers (EPIC) is a student group focused on exploring “non-traditional” medical careers, particularly in the pharmaceutical industry. Ultimately, we hope to give medical students well-rounded view of the many roles medical doctors play in the Healthcare and Pharma industry.

Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG)

Presidents

Puja Deshpande

Drym Oh

Marissa Carranza

The Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG) was established by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) in 1995 to promote communication and the exchange of best practices between students and faculty leaders across the country. FMIG focuses on providing educational opportunities to raise the awareness, understanding, and confidence of medical students to choose family medicine and spread a shared vision for the future of family medicine and primary care in the U.S. This year, the current FMIG leaders share a passion for service-learning and hope to provide students with collaborative opportunities to learn about not only medicine, but also their community.

Global Surgery Student Alliance (GSSA)

Presidents

Puja Deshpande

Drym Oh

The Global Surgery Student Alliance (GSSA) is the national student-run global surgery working group for the U.S., affiliated with InciSioN (the International Student Surgical Network). We believe that students are a valuable resource for the advancement of global surgery. We also believe that being unified in our efforts will help further our initiatives and can also facilitate more collaboration amongst overall global surgery efforts, both now and in the future. By exposing students to the field early on, we also hope to help them build their surgical careers with global surgery in mind. Ultimately, many students are willing and able to make significant contributions to global surgery, and we hope to be a resource that facilitates those efforts.

Health Living Task Force (HLTF)

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Joyce Afran

The Healthy Living Task Force is designed to promote health and wellness on a holistic scale, including healthful eating, and physical and mental wellness. Further, HLTF strives to educate medical students and the community about the importance of healthy living practices. For large group activities, students will have opportunities to learn about healthy living practices including nutritional counseling, meditation, and food sciences through guest lecturers and panel discussions. Small group activities may include events such as cooking demonstrations, mindful eating workshops, free yoga class, and the Healthy Food Cook-off, which will help educate students about various healthy living practices. HLTF actively volunteers at Rutgers Gardens, a local organic garden and through The Healthy Kitchen project, which teaches middle school students the value of eating healthfully while providing them with the skill set to do so

Homeless and Indigent Population Health Outreach Project (HIPHOP)

Chief Faculty Advisor

Dr. Eric Jahn

Program Coordinator

Susan Giordano

Student Director

Kemi Alabi

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Faculty Advisors

Dr. Paul Weber

Dr. Eric Jahn

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Faculty Advisors

Dr. Karen Lin

Dr. Eric Jahn

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HIPHOP is an umbrella organization, comprised of HIPHOP-Community Health Initiative and Promise Clinic, which seeks to meet the pressing health needs of the Greater New Brunswick area. Through this program, students provide community outreach, health promotion, preventive education, and clinical services to indigent and underserved populations. HIPHOP fosters connections between medical students and the local community and makes community service a part of their medical school experience and careers by integrating community service with the medical school curriculum.

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HIPHOP Community Health Initiative (HIPHOP-CHI) organizes both year-round programs and one-time opportunities for students to volunteer with and learn about the local community. HIPHOP-CHI's many initiatives are as follows:

I. Integration with the curriculum:

- Clinic Project: Allows first year medical students to complete their PCM Clinical Site requirements at indigent clinics

- Health Workshops: First year medical students are required to present a health workshop at a community site as part of their first year PCM course (e.g. Open Doors, Naomi’s Way, HUB Teen Center)

- Third Year Family Medicine Clerkship: Allows third year medical students to complete workshops at community sites to fulfill the service requirement of their Family Medicine rotation

II. Volunteering

- Affecting Change through Education Program (ACE): weekly tutoring/mentoring program

- Project Outreach: short and long term volunteering opportunities in the community (e.g. Elijah's Soup Kitchen, Teddy Bear Check-Ups, annual 5K fundraiser)

III. Training Initiatives

- Domestic Violence Iniative: offers 12-14 hours of domestic violence training through the Rutgers Domestic Violence Services Office for Violence Prevention and Victim Assistance

IV. Non-Credit Electives

- Issues in Cultural Competency and the Underserved Community Elective (ICCUCE)

- Literacy Initiative for Students Teaching Older Spanish Speakers (LISTOS)

- Patients At/In Risk Elective (PAIR)

- Students Teaching AIDS to Students (STATS)

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HIPHOP Local Interdisciplinary Care Collaborative (LINC) is a student run interdisciplinary initiative. We aim to establish community relationships with the underserved neighborhoods in the Greater New Brunswick and Franklin Township area. Our goal is to improve the health of these communities while providing hands-on experiences of an interdisciplinary practice. At our current stage, medical students will be offered the opportunity to work together with students from all over RBHS (Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences), to go out into the community to conduct our Community Needs Assessment. We hope to that this will elucidate the appropriate health care intervention and approach that will best support this community.

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HIPHOP Promise Clinic is a student-run clinic composed of a community of medical students, volunteer physicians, and community partners dedicated to providing quality, patient-centered primary care services. It also aims to educate and empower the clients of Elijah’s Promise Soup Kitchen and the uninsured citizens of New Brunswick, NJ, to live healthier lives. Promise Clinic serves as an environment where medical students and other health professionals can engage in the New Brunswick community through service-learning aimed at teaching the importance of continuity of care, teamwork, advocacy, innovation, and leadership. Promise Clinic students are able to serve both through the roles of student doctor and steering committee member. The Promise Clinic Steering Committee is composed of the following sub-committees: Operations, Education, Grants and Finance, Laboratory, Pharmacy, Community Outreach, Quality Improvement, Communications, and Specialty Care.

Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA)

President

Belquis Shahsamand

RWJ's Muslim Student Organization, which allows students to learn more about the Islamic faith while providing opportunities to put Islamic values such as community service and mentorship into practice

Integrative Medicine Interest Group (IntegMed)

Presidents

Stephanie Ji

Shivani Bahl

The Integrative Medicine Interest Group (IntegMed) is designed to expand students’ definition of “medicine” and “treatment”. We cooperate with multiple interest groups to host activities and guest lectures that aim to help students foster a respect and understanding for alternate treatment modalities that patients regularly use and also learn if these treatments are safe and/or effective.  

Internal Medicine Interest Group (IMIG)

Presidents

Rebecca Chanin

Bhargav Vemulapalli

The Internal Medicine Interest Group is a student run interest group intended to educate students about careers in Internal Medicine (IM) and promote relationships and communication among student members, IM faculty, and IM residents. The group focuses on promoting an understanding of the role of the Internist as a primary care physician as well as the role of subspecialists in providing care for complex diseases. Events such as researcher and clinician lectures and participation in activities hosted by the local chapter of the American College of Physicians (ACP) provide networking opportunities, potential research placements, and mentors. The interest group provides medical students a better understanding of career options, patient care, and the clinical relevance of first and second year coursework.

Global Health Interest Group (GHIG)

Presidents

Justin Montague

Bhargav Vemulapalli

The International Health Interest Group (IHIG) is designed to raise awareness of international health issues through a close collaboration with the Office of Global Health. IHIG runs an "International Health Elective,” which includes lunch lectures and events over the two semesters with speakers who have worked in different capacities in global health. Topics covered throughout the year will broaden students’ perspectives on different cultures and world medical problems that are not seen in the United States. In addition, IHIG raises funds for charities that contribute to international health relief work and assists students who wish to study abroad during the summer between first and second year or during fourth-year electives with fundraising and information sessions. The IHIG coordinators are also members of the steering committee for the Office of Global Health at the medical school.

Jewish Medical Student Society

Presidents

Deena Korenblit

Erica Levin

The goal of JMSS is to maintain a sense of Jewish community at RWJMS. JMSS provides programming and support for Jewish medical students at RWJ. Events throughout the year include Chanukah and Passover parties, lunch lectures, and Shabbat dinners, and we will also hold events with other faith-based student groups in order to understand the similarities and differences between groups. While we provide a social outlet for Jewish students, we encourage students of all faiths to participate in JMSS events.

Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA)

Presidents

Brenda Romero

Alxandra Montesinos

LMSA is the local Robert Wood Johnson Medical School chapter of Latino Medical Student Association Northeast (LMSA-NE). Its mission is to recruit Latinos into higher education and health-related areas, educate the public and one another about Latino health issues, and promote awareness about social, political, and economic issues as they relate to Latino health and the Latino population.

Medical Mandarin

Presidents

Jairan Sadeghi

Samantha Shave

The Medical Mandarin Noncredit Elective strives to provide medical students with Mandarin language and cultural competency skills when providing care to Chinese Americans. The noncredit elective involves hour-long classes once a month during lunch as well as community service events throughout the year.

Medical Students for Choice (MSFC)

Presidents

Christle Antwi, Veena Bhagavathi, Marissa Carranza, Raadhika Kher, Pamela Ribeiro, Jairan Sadeghi, Uma Sarwadnya, Grace Tellado, Wenxin Zhu

The RWJMS Chapter of Medical Students for Choice is dedicated to ensuring that women receive the full range of reproductive healthcare choices and helping create tomorrow’s abortion providers and pro-choice physicians by supporting medical student advocacy and programming, improving reproductive health curriculum, increasing abortion training opportunities, and promoting the importance of MSFC’s work broadly.

Miles for Smiles

President

Steve Farrell

Miles of Smiles is a group focused on exercise and wellness at Rutgers RWJ and the greater community. We aim to promote health, fitness, and wellbeing for all students in order to encourage a positive lifestyle. Throughout the year we hold exercise sessions led by our very own classmates, from lifts and runs to Body Pump workouts and outdoor yoga. 

Mind-Body Medicine Interest Group (MBMIG)

Faculty Advisor

Dr. Anthony Tobia

The Mind-Body Medicine Interest Group (MBMIG) aims to promote a student body understanding of and appreciation for the relationship between mental and physical wellness and disease. We bring in researchers on various topics relating to stress, anxiety, depression, and their physiological correlates. The MBMIG-linked mindfulness meditation elective offers students the opportunity to learn the attentional and self-regulatory skill of mindfulness meditation with an instructor.

Neurosurgery Interest Group

Presidents

Hugh Bartlett

Hayley Donaldson

Nicholas Dadario

The Neurosurgery Interest Group offers students the opportunity to hear from speakers involved in the field of Neurosurgery at all levels. This includes attending physicians, residents, and 4th year students in the process of applying into neurosurgery residencies. Getting involved in a niche field like neurosurgery can be a difficult task for a first year student, and this interest group exists to alleviate some of that complexity. NSIG aims to assist students in gaining exposure to the field, and in cultivating the necessary experiences to be competitive applicants in the near future.

OB/Gyn Interest Group

Presidents

Nnenna Ukenna-Izuwa

Aleksandra Hussain

The OB/Gyn Interest Group is designed for students who want to learn more about opportunities available in the fields of obstetrics and gynecology. The group helps students gain an understanding of what a career in Ob-Gyn entails by creating a network between students and health care professionals within the field. In addition, the OB/Gyn Interest Group provides a forum for various speakers and promotes advocacy for issues regarding women's health and reproductive care.

Ophthalmology Interest Group (OIG)

President

Shareif Abdelwahab

The mission of the Ophthalmology interest group is to cultivate student interest and exposure to the field of Ophthalmology. Ophthalmology is the surgical and medical management of all diseases of the eye and orbit.

Orthopaedics Interest Group (ORIG)

President

Pasquale Gencarelli

The Orthopaedics Interest Group is a student run group organized by selected M1 and M2 representatives. The main focus of the group is to expose first- and second- year medical students to the specialty of Orthopaedic Surgery and to provide guidance to become a competitive orthopaedic surgery residency applicant. Past activities include anatomy reviews, a RWJUH physician-run Step 1 review session, and a speaker series on various orthopaedics sub-specialties. In the coming year, we plan to host clinically relevant workshops for students and promote both shadowing and research opportunities within the Department of Orthopaedics. 

Pediatrics Interest Group (PIG)

President

Maddy Granovetter

The Pediatrics Interest Group has an overall goal of exposing students to pediatric medicine. We hope to offer forums for students to learn about pediatric subspecialties, pediatric residencies, ethical issues in pediatric medicine, and interacting with pediatric patients. We also collaborate with other student organizations to organize opportunities for volunteering with the local pediatric population. Through our relationship with the RWJ and St. Peter's pediatric programs, we can offer students shadowing opportunities within a number of specialties. Finally, medical students who participate in the pediatrics interest group are eligible to apply for the Pediatrics Non-Credit Elective.

Pediatric to Adult Transition in Healthcare (PATH)

Presidents

Mahaksh Kotdawala

Bethany Hunt

PATH (Pediatric to Adult Transitions in Healthcare) is a non-credit elective designed to educate medical students on what it is like for patients with chronic conditions to transition from pediatric to adult healthcare. PATH students work with physicians in a specific pediatric subspecialty to assist and educate adolescent patients and families on the transition process. 

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R)

Presidents

Akshay Thaper

Michael Park

We are an interest group focused on introducing students to the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. The inter-disciplinary specialty aims to help students explore the sub-specialties in the field and to become comfortable working with individuals with varying ability levels. Sub-specialities include Sports Medicine, Spinal Cord Injury, Pain, Traumatic Brain Injury, Pediatrics, and Prostethics and Orthotics.

Physicians for Human Rights (PHR)

Presidents

Veena Bhagavathi

Michelle Zhao

Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) was founded in 1986 by a group of physicians who believed that their status and skills allowed them the unique opportunity to call attention to and investigate human rights violations both domestically and internationally. We discuss topics such as prison healthcare, medical access, and worldwide developments and allow medical students to tackle and engage in discussions about both domestic and international issues. Our chapter was started by rising M4s two years ago and is currently growing into its own. We hope to fill a void in student opportunities by providing a distinct forum for students to discuss and engage in health and human rights issues that affect the greater population.

Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Interest Group (PRSIG)

President

Kayla Pena

The Plastics and Reconstructive Surgery Interest Group (PRSIG) was formed to connect and energize medical students interested in learning more about a career in plastic surgery. PRSIG hosts monthly lunch lectures led by plastic surgeons from a variety of institutions and backgrounds. In addition, students are connected with plastic surgery research and mentorship opportunities, to help them gain insight into the field. Finally, PRSIG hosts its traditional annual Cadaver Suture Clinic, where students can directly learn suturing skills from the RWJUH plastic surgeons. We encourage all medical students to join PRSIG and learn more about the many opportunities within the field of plastic and reconstructive surgery.

Project Sunshine

President

Tania Atanassova

Project Sunshine is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free educational, recreational, and social programs to children and families living with medical challenges! We run an assortment of fun activities ranging from arts and crafts, sporting events, dance parties and much more! Each Project Sunshine member works with a student at Lakeview Middle School, a facility dedicated towards helping children with cerebral palsy and other cognitive impairments.

Psychiatry Residents Advancing Exposure to Interested Students (PRAXIS)

Presidents

Tom Ko

Maddy Granovetter

PRAXIS is the student-run psychiatry interest group at RWJMS. Guest lectures from psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, researchers, community advocates, and more, serve as an opportunity to cultivate interest in psychiatry and mental health broadly. PRAXIS also offers shadowing opportunities with the RWJMS Department of Psychiatry and unique ways of engaging with psychiatry, such as film analyses run by the faculty advisor, Dr. Anthony Tobia.

Public Health and Preventative Health Medicine Interest Group (PrevMed)

Presidents

Anaika Singh

Justin Montague

The Public Health and Preventive Medicine Interest Group aims to educate students at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School about the role of public health in medicine. Events held by the interest group explore topics such as health equity, social determinants of health, epidemiology, environmental and occupational health, and health promotion models. The interest group provides information for students considering careers in public health.

Radiology Interest Group (RIG)

Presidents

Michelle Clark

Brennan Cook

The Radiology Interest Group is designed for students interested in learning more about the fields of radiology and interventional radiology. Students will have the chance to hear from and interact with various attendings and residents through a series of lunch lectures. The lectures will address topics such as: the basics of radiology and different imaging modalities, common procedures in interventional radiology, and research and shadowing opportunities for medical students. Additionally, there will be interactive, simulation events for those interested in interventional radiology.

Reach Out and Read

Presidents

Erica Levin

Taylor Chiang

Reach Out and Read (ROR) is a national, non-profit organization that advocates for childhood literacy. It adopts a simple model of prescribing books and reading aloud to stimulate early brain development. ROR continues to encourage parents to read regularly to their children by giving them the tools to do so. Our chapter of ROR was created in the fall of 2019 and is only the second student chapter at a medical school nationally. Our goal is to provide a literacy-rich environment and help to model skills to parents and children on how to read at home. Medical students are encouraged to get involved and volunteer to read with us at Chandler!

RWJMS Ambassadors

Presidents

Hayley Donaldson

Vineeth Amba

Jasmin Capellan

JInny Yoo

The RWJMS Ambassadors is a student group that acts as a liaison between the student body and prospective students, guests, and special visitors of the school.  The Ambassadors facilitate interview day for prospective students, delivering presentations and leading tours. Special events, such as Accepted Students Day, heavily rely on participation and planning by the Ambassadors. The Ambassadors have the opportunity to speak to interested and accepted students about what life is like at RWJMS. As spokespersons of the school, the Ambassadors take a tremendous amount of pride in RWJMS and its students, never failing to celebrate their talents, diversity, and unique interests. The Ambassadors strongly believe that the greatest strength of RWJMS is in its students, and the sense of community fostered amongst them. It is the goal of the Ambassadors to share these strengths with future students and visitors.   

RWJMS Literary Society

Presidents

Maddy Granovetter

Adrian Kase

Patricia Shelton

The RWJMS Literary Society provides a forum where RWJMS students can share their experiences, ideas, and talent. We produce an annual literary journal: a collection of medically related commentary, criticism, fiction, poetry, art, and humor. Our organization is dedicated to establishing a creative and intellectual community at RWJMS where students can discuss whatever is on their minds, and to bring events of cultural significance to the campus. There is a lot of talent and diversity at our school; we hope to tap into some of this talent and let the RWJMS community celebrate all that our students and faculty have to offer.

Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA)

Presidents

Dina Collins

Taylor Chiang

SAGA is a group for queer medical students and their allies to organize around LGBTQ issues in medicine, medical school and medical education. Our mission is to educate our peers through events and trainings, provide a community for queer med students and work with the administration to make the school more inclusive.

Substance Use and Interest Group

Presidents

Alexandra Quatrella

Sarah McGuire

Substance Use Interest Group

Student Curriculum Committee

Lily Adler

Pat Kinley

Evelyn Wu

The Student Curriculum Committee (SCC) is a Subcommittee of the Rutgers RWJMS Curriculum Committee. The Curriculum Committee is composed of both elected and appointed faculty whose job is to develop, review and make policy related to the entire 4-year medical school curriculum. The role of the SCC is to bring forth the opinions, perspectives, and suggestions of students. SCC responsibilities include attending monthly meetings of both the SCC and the full Curriculum Committee and sitting on Course Evaluation Subcommittees. SCC members also select 2 Course Representatives for each M1 and M2 course to maintain communication between students in the course and the course director. After every course, both M1 and M2 SCC members lead meetings with all their Course Representatives to gather additional feedback from students. 

Ultrasound Interest Group (USIG)

President

Mahaksh Kotdawala

The Ultrasound Interest Group was formed in the interest of having a multidisciplinary group that would promote the education and use of ultrasound. We hope to explore the use of US across multiple specialties through lectures and hands on experiences. Ultimately we hope to see US education incorporated into our school’s curriculum to better prepare our students to use this great technology.

Student Interest Group in Neurology (SIGN)

Presidents

Edbert Lu

Courtney Dunphy

The Student Interest Group in Neurology (SIGN) provides a forum for the exploration of interests in neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry, and promotes interaction among students, faculty, and residents through scholarly and social functions. Students also have the opportunity to complete the non-credit elective in Clinical Neuroscience through a combination of attendance at SIGN events and the fulfillment of an approved program of doctor shadowing, research, or related volunteer work. SIGN is a national student organization affiliated with the American Academy of Neurology (AAN). All student members of SIGN are eligible and encouraged to apply for free membership to the AAN, which offers scholarships for summer research and travel to the AAN conference.

Students Interested in Research (SIR)

Presidents

Wenxin Zhu

Maureen Haque

SIR facilitates student entry into research activities by improving student exposure and access to faculty involved in research activities within the RWJMS community. Through its Research Studies Lecture Series, SIR exposes students to current research being conducted at RWJMS to stimulate student interest in research and to provide students with the necessary information to further pursue research activities, such as the RWJMS Summer Research Fellowship. One faculty member is invited to give a research presentation with time for discussion during lunchtime sessions. While the elective targets M1 students, M2 students can also attend. Lectures focus on the crossroads between medicine and research, including both the personal perspective of the presenter in addition to the technical aspects of the presenter‘s research. The lectures and resources provided by SIR ease the transition into fellowship applications and summer research programs.

Student Admissions Committee

Faculty Advisor

Dean Terregino

Student representatives on the Student Admissions Committee participate in discussion and selection of the incoming class with the medical school’s Admissions Committee. Students are selected on the basis of class election and interview components.

Student National Medical Association (SNMA)

President

Kemi Alabi

SNMA is committed to supporting current and future underrepresented minority medical students, addressing the needs of under-served communities, and increasing the number of clinically excellent, culturally competent and socially conscious physicians. We aim do do this through the following goals: - To serve as a credible and accurate source of information relevant to minority issues in the field of medical education. - To encourage and foster the development of minority faculty in order to increase the presence of minority mentors and biomedical researchers in academic health centers. - To evaluate and cultivate the necessary measures to eradicate practices in the field of health profession education that compromise the goal of providing quality education to minorities and women.

The Ultrasounds

Faculty Advisor

Ellen Williams

The Ultrasounds a cappella group aims to integrate music into the medical community within our school and surrounding areas. With various events throughout the year, we strive to provide opportunities to our classmates for musical and artistic expression, as well as help create the link between music and medicine as we bring our singing out into the community. As an organization that is open to all levels of experience, we foster a collaborative environment for musical growth and development as we work together and learn from one another.

Wilderness Medicine Interest Group (WMIG)

Presidents

Brennan Cook

Joe Demarzo

David Natanov

Alexandra Montesinos 

The Wilderness Medicine Interest Group serves to unite a community of students passionate about nature, the outdoors and the complexities of clinical management outside the four walls of a hospital. WMIG events range from lunch and dinner lectures from trauma and wilderness medicine specialists to wilderness hikes involving emergency scenarios.

Urology Interest Group (UrIG)

Presidents

Juliana Kim

Jonathan Brisbon

The Urology Interest Group provides an approachable connection to students interested in Urology as a specialty. We aim to expose students to Urology and provide guidance for residency applicants. We provide shadowing and research opportunities, discussions with current Urology attendings and residents, and other urology/surgery demonstrations. Lectures can range from simple anatomy review, to chances to use a surgical simulator. We encourage all students regardless of previous knowledge to attend UIG events and join the group.

White Coats for Black Lives (WC4BL)

President

Kemi Alabi

WC4BL is a medical student-run organization born out of the National White Coat Die-In demonstrations that took place on December 10, 2014. We aim to safeguard the lives and well-being of our patients through the elimination of racism and dismantle racism in medicine and promote the health, well-being, and self-determination of people of color.

Valentine Mott Surgical Society (VMott)

President

Nadia Palte 

The Valentine Mott Surgical Society is an extension of the professional Valentine Mott Surgical Society at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and is open to all students. Valentine Mott’s goal is to provide opportunities for students to explore the exciting fields available in surgery through a longitudinal lecture series and various hands-on surgery skill sessions. The Society sponsors monthly specialty seminars, providing opportunities for students to get to know the faculty and residents at RWJUH. Activities include introduction to OR sessions, M1/M2 laparoscopic sessions, and both physician-run and student-run suture sessions.