Student National Medical Association
ABOUT SNMA
Mission and Goals
The Student National Medical Association (SNMA) at Albany Medical College (AMC) is committed to supporting current and future underrepresented minority medical students, addressing the needs of underserved communities, and increasing the number of clinically excellent, culturally competent and socially conscious physicians.
AMC's SNMA chapter is one of many at allopathic and osteopathic medical schools throughout the nation. SNMA programs are designed to serve the health needs of underserved communities and communities of color. In addition, SNMA is dedicated both to ensuring that medical education and services are culturally sensitive to the needs of diverse populations and to increasing the number of African-American, Latino, and other students of color entering and completing medical school.
The goals of SNMA are:
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 compromises the goal of providing quality education to minorities and women.
History
The Student National Medical Association (SNMA) was founded in 1964 by students at Meharry Medical College and Howard University College of Medicine. In the years to come, SNMA began expanding to medical colleges across the nation, including Albany Medical College. Today, AMC is one of SNMA's 150 medical chapters, which implement educational, outreach, and mentoring activities consistent with the goals of the organization.
SNMA has a long and rich history at AMC dating back to the early 1980s. When it was created, AMC's chapter joined SNMA's region IX, one of ten regions in the nation. An elected Regional Board oversees each region, each one being comprised of elected regional officers. Many AMC SNMA members have served on the Region IX Board, including two current AMC students, Sarah Martinez and Carina Abreu. Each region hosts an annual Regional Conference at which a regional meeting is held. AMC's SNMA chapter has been honored to hosted the Region IX SNMA conference in the past. Each region has its own Constitution and Bylaws, which must be held in accordance with and not in violation of the Constitution and Bylaws of National SNMA. Region IX is comprised of chapters from New Jersey, and New York.
AMC SNMA has also been regularly involved with the local premedical Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students (MAPS) chapter at SUNY Albany. SNMA at Albany Medical College has worked with the University of Albany MAPS chapter to hold workshops, speakers, medical campus tours, and advising sessions. AMC SNMA is committed to increasing the visibility of historically underrepresented minorities that aspire to become physicians and provide them with resources and a social network of current medical students to help facilitate the journey to medical school.
Albany Medical College's chapter of SNMA was recognized with the Outstanding Chapter Award in 1991, The Little Chapter that Could Award in 2007, and the MAPS Outstanding Commitment To Excellence Award in 2019.
Events and Initiatives
SMNA hosts regular events that center around mentorship, leadership, advocacy, and scholarship. Some of these events include:
Monthly general body meetings
Scholarly 1-on-1 meetings
Shades of AMC (Black History Month)
SNMA welcome back brunch
Alumni network
Second look day brunch
MSI Day engagement with Albany High School Students
Conferences
Regional Medical Education Conference (RMEC)
Annual Medical Education Conference (AMEC)
Leadership
The SNMA leadership is elected every academic year in February from a pool of highly qualified candidates. The 2023-2024 SNMA Executive Board for Albany Medical College is:
Presidents: Grace Fagbenro and Ve Green
Vice-President: Tobenna Mbonu
Secretary: Kiera Whitely
Treasurer: Akacia Dunkez
Community Service Chair: Jennifer Amoh
Public Relations Chair: Thermutis Djanie
MAPS Liaisons: Malena Allbright and Ikheme Iteboje
Social Chair: Mary-Benedicta Obikili
Clinical Liaisons: D’Nea Galbraith and Monique John
Past SNMA leadership includes Daniel Mutua (Class of '25), Chioma Anaemejeh (Class of '25), Ann-Marie Wilhelm (Class of '25), Rami Fedil (Class of '25), Diana Anum (Class of '25), Reginald Hyppolite (Class of '25), Meheret Mekonnen (Class of '24, Onyedika Nwike (Class of '25), Andrew Mogga (Class of '24), Oyenike Ilaka (Class of '24), Marah Jolibois (Class of '24), Valerie Bresier (Class of '24), Myrlandy Surprise (Class of '24), Symone Reid (Class of '24), Victor Aisogun (Class of '23), Liban Dinka (Class of '23), Michelle Wafo (Class of '23), Ogechukwu Opaigbeogiu (Class of '23), Yohary Fabian (Class of '23), Aaron Garcia (Class of '23), Mirielle Darby (Class of '23), Jeslyn Rodriguez (Class of '23), Sarah Martínez (Class of '22), Carina Abreu (Class of '22), Mercy Adewale (Class of '22), Christina Frasik (Class '22), Naldine Isaac (Class of '21), Nkeiruka Umeh (Class of '20), Dennis Nmecha (Class of '20), Stephane Owusu-Sarpong (Class of 2019), and Destiny Roseman (Class of 2018).
Get Connected
Interested in getting involved, learning more about us, or meeting with a SNMA representative when you interview at Albany Med? Reach out to us using our email and remember to follow us on instagram @SNMA_Albany!