The American College of Physicians California Council of Student Members is the liaison between the internal medicine interest groups (IMIGs) and the state chapters of the American College of Physicians. Founded in 2016, it serves as a robust resource for medical students interested in internal medicine, as well as a valuable student voice for the ACP state and national organizations.
The goals of our organization are:
- To build an inter-school network of students interested in internal medicine
- To create continuity of ACP involvement throughout medical school
- To create a resource that IMIGs can refer to for membership advice, event ideas and information about ACP events
- To represent the interests and needs of California medical students
- To encourage scholarly work
- To network with residents and provide residency advice to medical students
The council remains active throughout the year with various initiatives to promote these goals throughout California. Current council projects include coordinating networking events for students at regional and national meetings, launching projects that promote physician wellness, and developing a curriculum to help students advocate health policy at the state and national level.
For more information about, or being involved with CCSM, please email us at acpccsm@gmail.com.
CCSM Initiatives
Wellness
The Wellness subcommittee is working to better understand the current wellness resources available to California medical students. We also intend to survey medical students to understand what is working and what can be improved in the wellness space. We are committed to breaking down stigma and creating a space where students can speak candidly about physical, mental, and emotional well-being.Advocacy
The Advocacy subgroup is composed of medical students from across the state working together to improve and empower peers in advocacy. Offerings are geared to prepare students for engagement in such events as the annual Leadership Days in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. Current projects include a chalk talk-style video series on health policy basics (ex. Public and private insurance, payment models, etc.) to increase student literacy in the underpinnings of our health care system and a one-pager “quick start” guide to advocating for patients (both pre-clinically and while on the wards), with much more planned!Women in Medicine
This newly formed subcommittee seeks to address the topic of how gender dynamics in the medical workplace affects the daily lives of physicians, patient care, and the medical system more broadly. The initial goal of the Women in Medicine group is to connect medical students in small in-person group settings with faculty who have experience and interest in this topic.Video Series on the Basics of the Health Care System
The medical students of the ACP California Council of Student Members made a 5-part video series about the basics of our health care system. It provides education about public insurance, private insurance, payment models, and what structures exist to care for the under-resourced. This may be a valuable tool for anyone who wants to teach trainees about these important topics or learn more themselves.
Council Leadership
2021-2022
President, Emily Siegel
University of California, San Francisco
Emily is a fourth year medical student at the University of California, San Francisco. She received her Bachelor's degree in Biology at Brown University and worked at the National Institutes of Health prior to starting medical school as part of their Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award program. She joined ACP CCSM in 2018 because she is passionate about leveraging the privilege we have as providers to serve our patients beyond the walls of the hospital, and she was eager to collaborate with fellow students who felt similarly. Emily has particularly enjoyed speaking directly with our state and national legislators about issues of health equity and access. As president, she looks forward to expanding opportunities for medical students to advocate for policies that improve the lives of our patients and the physicians who care for them.Vice President, Sara Toulouie
Northstate University College of Medicine
Sara is a third-year medical student at California Northstate University College of Medicine. She obtained a Bachelor’s of Science in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior at UC Davis, where her passion for patient advocacy and community outreach began. As a co-director for a studentrun clinic known as Clínica Tepati, Sara has driven efforts to expand patient care accessibility during the hurdles of a pandemic for undocumented and underserved patients. Sara is interested in Internal Medicine and shares a broad interest in academic research. Sara has led publication efforts with both the Women in Medicine and Wellness subcommittees for the past year and looks forward to further contributing to CCSM as Vice President.Secretary, Janie Hu
St. George's University School of Medicine
Janie is a fourth-year medical student at St. George’s University School of Medicine. She is interested in Internal Medicine, and is passionate about community health and improving welfare for the underprivileged. Janie has volunteered in student-run diabetes clinics in the local Grenadian community and as a scribe during a medical mission for children with genetic disorders. In an effort to improve patient education, she has facilitated informative seminars on topics such as self-breast exams in areas where imaging is not readily available. Janie has been involved with CCSM and the Wellness subcommittee for the past year and looks forward to working with CCSM as Secretary.Resident Advisors
Pooja Jaeel, MD and Brendan Kim, MD
Faculty Advisor
Tammy Lin, MD FACP MPH