Welcome!Welcome to the home page of the Medical School Government of VCU School of Medicine. We hope to use this site to keep you informed of all events concerning the Medical Student Government including social functions, community service events, publications, resources, and any other activities.
If you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact our government email address, and the appropriate person will respond: medstudentgovernment@gmail.com. |
Recent events - Black Lives Matter
The Medical Student Government at VCU stands in solidarity with the Black community and our Black medical students in the fight against systemic racism in our society and in medicine. We support our underrepresented minority students and believe that as future physicians we must take actions against the public health issue of racism.
The Wellness Committee at MSG has put together a list of resources for education, advocacy, and mental health. This compilation is by no means comprehensive, but is to serve as a starting point for those who want to be more informed. Please view it here. The fight against racism will not end overnight. We must and we will commit to educate and change ourselves and others for the better. We urge you to do the same as well. With love, Medical Student Government |
Announcements from Weekly MSG Scoop: -- In Lieu of the Weekly Scoop, an email from Student National Medical Association (SNMA)
Friday, June 12
Dear VCU School of Medicine Community,
In the past few months, we have adjusted to the new normal of life during a pandemic and have watched as Black individuals have suffered disproportionately due to COVID-19. The despair felt while seeing the impact of COVID-19 on Black communities was further deepened as we were reminded of the devaluation of Black lives in the United States through a series of videos and accounts of police brutality over the course of a few short weeks. The recent murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Steve Taylor, and George Floyd join a list of names of known and unknown Black individuals who have lost their lives to racism and police brutality. While these injustices are currently plaguing the minds of many of us, they are only a fraction of the various racial injustices Black individuals may deal with on a daily basis. This can range from experiencing microaggressions in school or the workplace to having the police weaponized against you based solely on the color of your skin. Systemic racism is a societal issue, but most relevantly a public health issue.
As future physicians, this is our issue. The fear of being seen as a threat simply because of the color of your skin or to yet again witness the traumatic and senseless murder of someone who looks like you is an ongoing stressor that manifests itself as the conditions and health disparities that we have studied. In order to bring about change, we must first acknowledge that racism exists and has a direct impact on the everyday lives of Black Americans. We have to remind ourselves that these transgressions are not new.
In 1863, slavery was abolished in the United States and in 1954, 91 years later, segregation was ruled unconstitutional. Today, in 2020, there is still so much work to be done. While these issues are deeply ingrained and may feel insurmountable, if we take the time to engage in conversations about race and privilege, educate ourselves, and self-reflect, we can begin to move forward. We take solace in the fact that at VCU SOM we are surrounded by individuals who we feel will take the steps necessary to see tangible changes in the near and distant future. Please see more about actionable steps you can take below and follow the SNMA Instagram (@snmaatvcu) for additional resources.
These are not things that we ask you to do all at once, nor are the examples all-inclusive, but we must incorporate these steps into our daily lives. We are beginning to see positive changes such as the arrests of all officers involved in George Floyd’s murder, the reopening of Breonna Taylor’s murder case, and Governor Northam’s order to remove the Robert E. Lee Statue here in Richmond. This is just a glimpse of the change that is possible when we band together to fight for what is right. We cannot lose this momentum. This is just the beginning
Yours in SNMA
Shante’ Barnes
President
Amir Hobson
VP of Academics
Maya Johnson
VP of Community Service
Gianna Shipp
Secretary
Victoria Ngo
Treasurer
Kaela Johnson
MAPS Liaison
Lola Adelakun
Recruitment Chair
In the past few months, we have adjusted to the new normal of life during a pandemic and have watched as Black individuals have suffered disproportionately due to COVID-19. The despair felt while seeing the impact of COVID-19 on Black communities was further deepened as we were reminded of the devaluation of Black lives in the United States through a series of videos and accounts of police brutality over the course of a few short weeks. The recent murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Steve Taylor, and George Floyd join a list of names of known and unknown Black individuals who have lost their lives to racism and police brutality. While these injustices are currently plaguing the minds of many of us, they are only a fraction of the various racial injustices Black individuals may deal with on a daily basis. This can range from experiencing microaggressions in school or the workplace to having the police weaponized against you based solely on the color of your skin. Systemic racism is a societal issue, but most relevantly a public health issue.
As future physicians, this is our issue. The fear of being seen as a threat simply because of the color of your skin or to yet again witness the traumatic and senseless murder of someone who looks like you is an ongoing stressor that manifests itself as the conditions and health disparities that we have studied. In order to bring about change, we must first acknowledge that racism exists and has a direct impact on the everyday lives of Black Americans. We have to remind ourselves that these transgressions are not new.
In 1863, slavery was abolished in the United States and in 1954, 91 years later, segregation was ruled unconstitutional. Today, in 2020, there is still so much work to be done. While these issues are deeply ingrained and may feel insurmountable, if we take the time to engage in conversations about race and privilege, educate ourselves, and self-reflect, we can begin to move forward. We take solace in the fact that at VCU SOM we are surrounded by individuals who we feel will take the steps necessary to see tangible changes in the near and distant future. Please see more about actionable steps you can take below and follow the SNMA Instagram (@snmaatvcu) for additional resources.
- Begin with Self-reflection -- evaluate personal biases, consider your role as a physician in training, assess your privilege. Dismantling institutionalized racism begins on an individual basis and requires confronting difficult truths within yourself and your closest circles.
- Build your long-term strategy. How will you as a future physician use your voice to continue to advocate for your Black patients, colleagues, and friends?
- Continue to Educate Yourself -- books, forums, movies/shows, podcasts, online courses - related to medicine and beyond.
- Ask More of Your Educators -- when you see a race-based statistic, question “why?”. Encourage professors and faculty to explore how systemic racism may have resulted in the statistic or outcome.
- Exercise your allyship - consider donating to organizations, voting, reaching out to legislators, signing petitions, participating in protests, supporting Black-owned businesses.
- Be Mindful of your Mental Health -- These topics can be stress-inducing, especially for Black individuals, and to effectively bring about change we also have to take care of ourselves. Try to avoid sharing traumatic and triggering content. Take time to decompress, practice mindfulness, and seek counseling when needed, such as the University Counseling Services (VCU) Additional resources can be found here.
These are not things that we ask you to do all at once, nor are the examples all-inclusive, but we must incorporate these steps into our daily lives. We are beginning to see positive changes such as the arrests of all officers involved in George Floyd’s murder, the reopening of Breonna Taylor’s murder case, and Governor Northam’s order to remove the Robert E. Lee Statue here in Richmond. This is just a glimpse of the change that is possible when we band together to fight for what is right. We cannot lose this momentum. This is just the beginning
Yours in SNMA
Shante’ Barnes
President
Amir Hobson
VP of Academics
Maya Johnson
VP of Community Service
Gianna Shipp
Secretary
Victoria Ngo
Treasurer
Kaela Johnson
MAPS Liaison
Lola Adelakun
Recruitment Chair