About
About USA
The Underrepresented Student Alliance is a coalition of student-led professional medical organizations at the Albany Medical College, in Albany, New York. While each of these individual organization holds a necessary and important role at Albany Medical College, each organization also has a focus on a singular part of an individual’s identity. The Underrepresented Student Alliance functions to supplement support for people who have more than one single underrepresented identity in the field of medicine. USA aims to create a space where individuals may focus on all their identities, instead of selectively focusing on a particular aspect of who they are. The perfect intersection of different underrepresented identities in medicine, USA is comprised by the following student organizations:
Student National Medical Association (SNMA): supports underrepresented racial/ethnic populations in medicine. This includes Black, Latinx, and Native American populations.
Latino Medical Student Association (LMSA): supports racial/ethnic populations in medicine. This is limited to Latinx populations.
Medical Student Pride Alliance (MSPA): supports students with underrepresented sexual orientation and/or gender identity. This includes lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer populations.
Muslim Student Association (MSA): supports trainees who identify religiously and/or culturally. This is specific to the Muslim community, a voice and perspective that is underrepresented in many medical settings.
American Medical Women's Association (AMWA): supports underrepresented gender in medicine. This includes women.
First Generation and Low Income Medical Student Club (FGLIMed): supports trainees with underrepresented educational backgrounds. This is specific to first generation college educated students.
Building the Next Generation of Academic Physicians (BNGAP): supports primarily diverse, underrepresented trainees in medicine. This is limited to academic medicine. While the goals of the organization strive to increase diversity, this is specific to academic environments. The emphasis of the organization is to increase diversity specifically involvement in fields of research and medical education.
History
The underrepresented Student Alliance was created in 2019 by a group of forward thinking medical students at Albany Medical College. According to the founder of USA, Sarah Martínez, "the creation of the Underrepresented Student Alliance (USA) came from the need for a space that celebrated historically excluded and currently underrepresented identities in medicine — for who we are, the space we take up, and the light we bring to the world. I wanted others to know they are not alone - no matter how their different identities intersect. While different underrepresented groups face different challenges and obstacles, we all understand the common feeling of not being accepted, acknowledged, or respected because of our identities. Ultimately USA had a three-fold purpose: 1) to create a space for underrepresented identities to be acknowledged, accepted, respected, and explored, 2) for the intersection of an individuals identities to be acknowledged and celebrated, so that there never had to be a choice of which "identity" anyone feels they have to wear or hide in a given situation, and 3) a space for allyship to grow - between different underrepresented communities and between the general med student population and the underrepresented communities. We work really hard to advocate for our communities and acknowledge the obstacles and triumphs that our communities face in medicine". After collecting the forty signatures required, USA was approved as provisional student organization by the Student Council of Albany Medical College. Following a required year-long probationary period required for all new student groups, USA was approved as a fully instated student organization at the Albany Medical College in 2020.
USA launched the first annual diversity week in August 2019, directly following new student orientation week. Within this week, USA held its first event, an ice cream social mixer, followed by a student barbecue mixer later in the week. USA's hard work continues at AMC with many more events and initiatives planned and executed following these first few events.
Membership
Membership is open to all members of the Albany Medical College community. As an organization, USA remains open to establishing relationships with any underrepresented population or student organization that would like to develop events that meet the goals and mission of the organization.
Sustainability
USA is student run and and governed by a coalition of individuals from each affiliated organization, which:
Have one seat on the Elected Governing Board of USA. Each affiliated organization may individually select a chosen representative. This will ensure continued representation for each affiliated population.
Contribute to planning of events.
Contribute to content of workshops.
Additionally, the following elected governing board positions include:
Intersectionality Chair: this position will ensure that every event represents multiple identities and no group is unfairly favored.
Allyship Chair: this position will be responsible for ensuring that allyship remains an integral part of the organization.