This interest group is intended to facilitate learning in anatomy and connect its relevance to the vast number of specialties in the field of medicine. We are working alongside the anatomy faculty at the AU/UGA Medical Partnership to construct large group meetings, council meetings, and the construction of
mock anatomy practicals.

Advisor: Dr. DeLoris Hesse

Mission: To help medical students learn more about the field of Anesthesiology and prepare a successful residency application.

Advisor: Dr. Aimee Martin

To help Partnership students learn more about patient-centered cancer care and different cancer specialties.

Advisor: Dr. Casey Bassett

CRIC provides students with insight and exposure to Basic, Clinical, and Translational Research through invited speakers

Advisor: Dr. Jonathan Murrow

Mission
● Connect Medical Partnership students with the community through service
● Equip MP students with the opportunities and skills to work towards healthier communities and advocate for equitable health policies

Vision
● Build a generation of MP alumni that is invested in the well-being of the community and exemplifies leadership at the crossroads of medicine and service

The aim of the Emergency Medicine Interest Group is to provide information and support to students interested in the specialty. The group promotes interest in the field, fosters professional growth, and connect students with practitioners of emergency medicine towards providing mentorship.

Advisor: Dr. Aimee Martin

The Family Medicine / Obstetrics & Gynecology Interest Group’s purpose is to educate medical students on these particular fields of primary care, including scope of practice, lifestyle and patient populations and to facilitate network development between interested students and practicing clinicians.

Advisor: Dr. Lia Bruner

The Internal Medicine Interest Group (IMIG) serves to encourage medical students to explore Internal Medicine as a potential medical profession as well as a discipline to be applied in all areas of medicine. IMIG promotes education, service, and advocacy in the realm of Internal Medicine as a career and as it relates to other areas of medicine.

Advisor: Dr. Mary Bond

The objective of the AU/UGA Medical Partnership LGBTQ+ Student Interest Group is to help educate students on the healthcare needs of members of the LGBTQ+ population and to promote advocacy and outreach to the LGBTQ+ community in Athens and the surrounding areas.

Advisor: Dr. Timothy Brown

Focuses
Complementary career pathways:
● Biotechnology: medical devices & digital
health
● Innovation & entrepreneurship
● Healthcare consultants
● Healthcare administration
● Life sciences venture capital
● Healthcare private equity
● Medical education
● Scientists
● Epidemiology
● Ethics

Advisor: Dr. John Francis

The goal of the Medical Student Section is to introduce medical students to organized medicine through exposure to and participation with the policy-making process of both the state and national legislature so as to serve as advocates for medical students, physicians, and patients through involvement with the Medical Association of Georgia and its associated organizations. The purpose of the chapter is primarily to discuss currently debated legislative issues and to encourage students to develop analytical skills retaining to organized medicine and policymaking. Students are encouraged to develop individual stances on issues and are not coerced into cohering with other member’s or affiliated organizations positions.

Medical Campus Outreach is a group that exists to glorify God by training a new generation of healthcare providers to bring the healing of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world through healthcare.

Advisor: Dr. Lee Rawlings

Four main goals:
1. To facilitate medical learning and education through visual arts projects.
2. To provide a therapeutic medium for mental wellbeing and health, and to develop and train
observational skills.
3. To enhance the observational and critical thinking skills and creativity of future physicians.
4. To nurture a supportive community through collaboration projects and teamwork.

Advisor: Dr. Ariel VanLeuven

As the Spanish-speaking population in the United States and Georgia grows, there is a need for medical professionals to develop Spanish language skills and Hispanic / Latino cultural competency. The Medical Spanish Interest Group provides resources and opportunities for members to develop clinically-related Spanish language skills.

Advisor: Dr. Suzanne Lester

To learn more about medical simulation and provide a forum for students to gain exposure to different medical specialties through medical simulations. We hope to give students an opportunity to experience aspects of medicine outside of their pre-clinical curriculum and third-year core rotations, thereby broadening their prospects for future career goals.

Advisor: Leonard DeRamus, MPAS, PA-C

We get together to have jam sessions and (potentially) perform at different patient populations in Athens.

Advisor: Dr. Donald Scott

Check out Insight – our journal of ophthalmology primers

Advisor: Dr. Emory Patterson

Mission
● Introduction to one of the most competitive
surgical specialties
● Build relationships with those in orthopaedics
● Understand the application process
and provide advice to those interested in
orthopaedics
● Foster interest in the multitude of
subspecialities that are available
including:
○ Trauma
○ Hand
○ Oncology
○ Pediatrics
○ Infectious Disease

Advisor: Dr. Brett Szymik

The purpose of the Pediatrics Interest Group is to facilitate early learning opportunities in pediatric medicine, including general pediatrics and all subspecialties. Events are organized to help students learn about and discuss various aspects of pediatric care, including epidemiology, patient care guidelines and ethics.

Advisor: Dr. Julie Martin

Advisor: Dr. Casey Bassett

Advisor: Dr. Ariel VanLeuven

WHY: Getting into med school was hard; let’s do what we can to make it easier for the people currently applying.

Advisor: Dr. Kimberlee Giffen

The psychiatry interest group aims to create an environment where interest in psychiatry and mental health will be nurtured. The group encourages the discovery of the many ways in which the knowledge of psychiatry aids in the practice of multiple fields of clinical medicine. The group advocates for student mental wellness through educational events, speakers and other recourses and connect students interested in psychiatry with mentors and mental health professionals who may further their future growth, development and career pursuits.

Advisor: Dr. Jo Albritton

The purpose of the Radiology Interest Group is to help educate medical students in the different fields of radiology, facilitate networking between students and radiologists and to educate students on the various aspects of the specialty including lifestyle, benefits and routine procedures of different types of radiologists.

Advisor: Dr. Brett Szymik

Advisor: Dr. Casey Bassett

The Sports Medicine Interest Group (SMIG) has been established to educate, inform, and foster interest among students in the field of Sports Medicine. This group is for the benefit of all students interested or curious about Sports Medicine as a potential career field. The group meets intermittently throughout the year and has guest lecturers who speak about their experience in the field of Sports Medicine, guest surgeons who explain surgical techniques and walk through procedures, and workshops where students learn physical exam skills. The group also aims to create a platform for students and faculty to discuss current events and issues relevant to the field of sports medicine.

Advisor: Dr. Brad Register

National organization aimed to assist underrepresented minority medical students.

The Surgery Interest Group (SIG) seeks to provide an avenue through which any AU/UGA Medical Partnership student may learn about surgery, as well as gain, confirm, and develop a passion for the field and its various specialties. The SIG will primarily use experiential learning to develop and grow members’ interests in surgery. To that end, the SIG holds classes on basic surgical skills, as taught by an experienced surgeon, and also holds surgical simulations. Additionally, acknowledging the value of an array of personal insights on common questions regarding the practice of surgery, such as work / life balance, the rigor of the training process, and the daily experience of being a surgeon, the SIG invites local practicing surgeons to speak and share their personal experiences and advice. The SIG provides shadowing opportunities so that members may also be able to develop a stronger professional network with current practicing surgeons. Finally, the SIG invites credible authorities to hold information sessions on how to develop a strong application for surgical residencies.

Advisor: Dr. Toby Tally

The aim of the GUNners Health and Fitness Interest Group is to facilitate physical and mental wellness in the medical student community, including fitness programming and talks about mental health, financial wellbeing, nutrition and meditation. Events will be organized to help students learn and discuss about various aspects of physical and mental wellness.

Advisor: Dr. Leslie Lee

Advisor: Dr. Ellen House

Women in Medicine promotes women’s health and supports members’ professional and personal development by connecting medical students with community physicians and those working in health-related fields. In addition to regular member meetings, they host events and arrange service projects to engage the campus community in issues related to women’s health, human rights, and professional development. The group meets at least twice and hosts three community events per semester. Interested students of any gender are welcome and encouraged to join.

Advisor: Dr. Amy Baldwin