Members' Section
Welcome to the members' section. If you want to learn more about AMSA membership, this is the place to be. If you have questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to email questions@ufpremed.org for assistance.Basic Structure
UF Premed AMSA is divided into 12 committees. Each committee has a different focus and coordinates different activities for its members. When you join our organization, you will be assigned to a committee of your choosing. You will be expected to participate in your committee's activities and the activities of general AMSA. We have monthly meetings and a system of keeping track of member activity, as outlined below.Membership
Applications are open for the first few weeks of each Fall and Spring semester. To become a member, you must complete the membership application and pay dues. Our application is completely online, and a link will be posted on our main page when we are accepting new members. The application will include all of the information necessary for you to successfully become a member. However, if you do not complete the application AND pay your dues by the deadline, we will be unable to process your membership. You will have to wait until the next cycle to apply. Based on the size of our organization and the way our application system works, we unfortunately cannot make exceptions.Meetings
Approximately once a month, we have a meeting. Meetings are always on Wednesday evenings, and range from 1.5-2 hours in duration. Please be sure to keep that time slot free if at all possible. We normally hold meetings in the HPNP Auditorium down at Shands. If you have never been to the HPNP Auditorium, we have a directions page.Meetings almost always include AMSA announcements and a speaker who will present on a topic relevant to anyone interested in medicine. We ask that you please silence your cell phones and refrain from conversation during the presentation. If you need to take a call or have a word with a fellow member, please quietly exit the auditorium to do so. After the announcements and speaker, committee meetings are held. Attendance for the meeting is taken at committee meetings, so you should be with your assigned committee to sign in.
Committees
Because AMSA is so large, we are divided into 13 committees. These committees will be your AMSA family for the rest of the semester, if not the rest of the year. If you want more information about each committee, visit the committee descriptions page.Need to know what your committee is up to? Check out the Committee Events Calendar to view the upcoming events that your committee has planned. Feel free to browse the events from other committees, too. You can attend many events that interest you, even if they are not put on by the committee you belong to.
Committee Assignments
Once all members have been sorted and placed into committees for Fall, you will receive an e-mail from your directors and a list will be posted here.
If you have any questions, please e-mail secretary@ufpremed.org.
Good Standing
The new Good Standing system this year has only one category. A member can either be in good standing or not be in good standing. To attain good standing, a member must attend all General Meetings for the semester, 3 General AMSA events, and 3 Intercommittee events. In addition, all members must complete their committee requirements to have committee good standing.We keep a running record of your involvement. You can always check the current record on this page. Just type in your name, gatorlink, or UFID.
If you do not obtain good standing, there is no punishment. We are not coercing you to do anything, and you should only participate if you want to. You will not get kicked out of AMSA if you are inactive. Your inactivity is only hurting you. You will be ineligible for membership in the Equal Access Clinic and you will not be able to run for a leadership position within the organization. With AMSA, you get what you give. The more time you invest, the more fulfilling your experience will be.
Excused Absences
If you can't make it to the meeting due to a school related conflict or other extenuating circumstance, make sure you fill out an excused absence form. There is more information and acutal forms for our excused absence system on the excused absence page.Mentor/Mentee Program
While its great to be a Florida Gator, we know its tough to be a premed. That's why we have the mentor/mentee program. This program matches first and second year members (mentees) with third and fourth years (mentors) who are following a similar major track. The mentors provide advice and support to their mentees. Advice can be on anything from professors to take (or avoid) to volunteering experiences. Mentors are also in place to help their mentees get into the swing of things with AMSA and to provide a networking opportunity.As a mentor, you should check in with your mentees at least once a month, or as often as you feel is necessary. If your mentee emails you, you should do your best to respond within a week's time. If you no longer wish to be a mentor, email the advising and volunteering directors so your mentees can be placed with someone else.
If you are a mentee, do not be afraid to ask your mentor for advice, for moral support, or just to hang out. That is what he or she is there for. However, you should allow your mentor a reasonable amount of time to respond. Remember that mentors are upperclassmen, so they may have a busy schedule (including the ever-exciting med school interviews.)
