University-wide

Alliance for Hispanic Health

The primary goal of Alliance for Hispanic Health (AHH) of MUSC is to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas between students, faculty, and staff of MUSC and community health care organizations in order to promote the health and well-being of the Hispanic community of Charleston.  The AHH was established in January 2005 and meets monthly to discuss new and ongoing projects to promote the health and well-being of the Hispanic community of Charleston, including health care services, cultural awareness, student needs and recruitment, and research.

The Alliance for Hispanic Health
- Promotes and sponsors opportunities for cultural competency for health professionals, including lectures, films, and Spanish classes
- Participates in community health events that serve the Hispanic community
- Promotes opportunities for volunteering with the Spanish-speaking community
- Provides regular email communication about opportunities in the community and organization initiatives

Coalition for Prevention

Our mission is to provide an interprofessional forum for students to gather, exchange ideas, and foster a multidisciplinary approach to practical prevention of chronic diseases including cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular, obesity, neurological, autoimmune, and reproductive disorders.  We seek to translate sound scientific and clinical data into sensible, accessible, and sustainable measures for all members of our community, with an emphasis on plant-based nutrition and avoidance of common toxins, such as endocrine disruptors.
 
Determinants of disease are largely set in the womb and during childhood development, making these critically important times for prevention to be a priority.  Even once disease has developed, these measures can potentially limit further progression by addressing the underlying imbalances that manifest as illness, counteracting inflammation, strengthening the body's natural defenses, and aiding in therapeutic success.
 
We hold monthly meetings and our activities include discussions of recent research (we encourage students to present), hosting guest speakers, creating a prevention pocket guide, organizing community education and outreach projects, cooking preventive meals, demonstrations of DIY non-toxic products, gardening at the MUSC Urban Farm, and holding social/fundraising events.
 
By objectively exploring the connections between rising rates of human disease and environmental health, we hope to serve as a local platform for raising awareness and providing prevention-based solutions.

Crisis Ministries

Crisis Ministries is a non-profit organization which utilizes volunteer services from a myriad of community establishments such as area churches, local hospitals, and various philanthropic groups, to provide safe shelter, nutritious meals, and medical care so that homeless families and individuals may be given a chance to better their lives. 

MUSC plays an integral part in the success of Crisis Ministries. For the past seven years, medical students have worked to raise needed funds through the Charity Ball. Each Wednesday night, 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m., medical students from all classes, residents from the hospitals, attending physicians who practice throughout Charleston, and area pharmacists volunteer their time at Crisis Ministries to provide a variety of medical services. Most Wednesdays, there is an educational session from 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The medical clinics are always in need of new student volunteers.
 

International Association

International Association is comprised of all MUSC students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, staff and their families.  A steering committee assesses programming and makes recommendations year to year.

Student Medical History Club

The Student Medical History Club meets for a catered lunch and a lecture by scholars on the history of the health sciences. Topics range from history of germ warfare to pathologies represented in pre-Columbian art. These lunches are provided free as an opportunity to meet othersinterested in the history of the health sciences. Students from all six colleges are welcome.

W. Curtis Worthington, Jr., Research Paper Award

This annual prize for undergraduates and graduate papers on the history of health and science is named in the honor of the second and current director of the library. A cash prize and a publication opportunity is awarded to the best undergraduate and graduate papers. Deadline for submissions is May 31st in each contest year.

Topics in the History of the Health Sciences IP 732

This interprofessional, interdisciplinary course is open to students in all colleges. Students attend lectures by scholars on a range of topics including history of cardiac surgery, pharmacy, and nursing as well as more unique topics such as birth defects in pre-Columbian art. The class meets weekly during the spring semester and is limited to the first 25 applicants. This is a 1-credit class, however, students who wish to get 2.5 credits for the class may write and receive a passing grade on a 5-page (1,250 word) research paper on some topic relating to the history of the health sciences.

Senior RotationElective

For those students who are looking to expand their academic explorations, the Waring Historical Library offers a senior rotation elective which enables students to examine in depth an aspect of the history of the health sciences.

For information on the above, please contact Susan Hoffius at the Waring Historical Library at 792-2288 or hoffius@musc.edu.

Multicultural Student Advisory Board

The Multicultural Student Advisory Board (MSAB) is composed of representatives from the minority student organizations in all six of the university’s colleges.  Organizations currently represented on the board include Student Health Professionals United in Recognizing Diversity, Student National Dental Association, Multicultural Graduate Student Association, Student National Medical Association, Multicultural Student Nursing Association, and Student National Pharmaceutical Association. 

MSAB provides opportunities for social activities and strives to improve the recruitment and retention of minority faculty and students.

MSAB meets on the first Monday of each month, except for federal holidays.  All meetings will be held at noon.
For more information, please visit http://www.musc.edu/msab.

MUSC Student Government Association (MUSC SGA)

The MUSC Student Government Association (MUSC SGA) represents students in all six colleges: Dental Medicine (CDM), Health Professions (CHP), Graduate Studies (CGS), Medicine (COM), Nursing (CON), and Pharmacy (SSCP). It works on behalf of the students by performing the following services:

• Facilitating the exchange of information and ideas among the six colleges and all students attending the Medical University of South Carolina.
• Serving as a liaison between students and the university administration to represent student opinions, needs, and interests; and disseminating and promoting the exchange of information from the administration to students.
• Taking action to increase the quality of student services and academic programs to further enhance the education of students.
• Planning and executing a variety of social, cultural, service, and recreational programs to promote fellowship, personal growth,  and interaction with MUSC students and the university community.
• Maintaining a budget, within the allocated funds, to serve the MUSC student body most effectively.
• To encourage and support interprofessional ideas, academic activities, and social events between all six colleges.

A copy of the SGA constitution is available in the Student Programs Office or online at http://www.musc.edu/sga. It describes the purpose and membership policies of the SGA, which is composed of 46 representatives (elected/named according to their colleges’ procedures in the spring or early fall) and five executive officers (self-nominated and elected by the student body in the spring).

The SGA works to integrate student opinion into university planning and policy-making. SGA members represent MUSC students on most university-wide committees, and the president represents students at meetings of the MUSC Board of Trustees.  Additionally,  all SGA members serve on one of the five SGA committees: Academic Affairs, Student Welfare, Programs, Service, and Communications. These committees work with the university administration to make improvements in the quality of student life.

Anyone interested may attend SGA meetings, held almost every other Wednesday night starting August 29th, 2012 at 5:15 p.m. in the Harper Student Center Auditorium. Call Student Programs, 792-2693, or go to the SGA’s website for the schedule. The SGA urges you to share your ideas, experiences from other institutions, and suggestions either at their meetings or via email:  sga@musc.edu. Student Government represents you. Whether it represents you well is largely up to you and the representatives you elect.

The MUSC SGA annually plans and sponsors a variety of social, recreational, and cultural events and a five-sport intramural program.  Programs and activities sponsored by the SGA include:  Welcome Back to School Party, Cultural Programs, Wine Tasting, Art Walk, Activities Fair, Oyster Roast, Outdoors Programs, Exam Breaks, Service Projects and ALHAMBRA

Click here to view the Student Government Association Representatives

MUSC ONE

Every year, a number of medical students volunteer to go on different medical trips to aid in the health relief efforts in impoverished areas world wide. We are fortunate that MUSC students show a great deal of interest in helping eradicate poverty and preventable health problems. As we all know that medical students have very little time or money, so ONE is the perfect way to maximize your efforts to fight poverty and disease, both locally and internationally.

Even though many of us would like to get the opportunity to travel abroad and do some hands-on work, ONE caters to those who are unable to make that time commitment. Our long-term goals include taking steps in order to raise millions of dollars to help rid the world of poverty, and providing quality healthcare to the suffering. Furthermore, ONE gears efforts in providing sustainable long-lasting solutions to ending extreme poverty and disease.

MUSC's Organization for Improved Access to Weight Manangement

This student group fills at least two very important needs. First, students will learn about the most effective, evidenced-based weight management interventions from the professionals at the MUSC Weight Management Center. Secondly, and at least as importantly, the group would collectively provide free class-based weight management interventions directly to locally underserved patients, under the direct and indirect supervision of MUSC Weight Management Center faculty and staff.

Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery Interest Group (Oto-HNS)

Oto-HNS is an interdisciplinary interest group designed to foster student interest in the diverse field of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery.   Caring for diseases of the head and neck requires a collaborative team of medical and dental professionals.  As such, we strive to 1) educate students from all colleges on the perspective of head and neck care from the standpoint of an Otolaryngologist, and 2) introduce students interested in diseases of the head and neck to their colleagues from other disciplines. 

In addition, we:

• Serve as a liaison between students and the Otolaryngology faculty to arrange shadowing opportunities and establish mentorships with MUSC Otolaryngologists.
• Host subspecialty lectures several times each year in order to introduce students to the array of careers within the field of Otolaryngology.
• Promote awareness of head and neck cancer in the community through collaboration with the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance and participation in events such as Oral Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week (OHANCAW) and community cancer screenings.
   
  For membership information or questions, please send an email to otohns.musc@gmail.com.
  
  

Public Health Interest Group (PHIG)

MUSC Public Health Interest Group (PHIG) is a university-wide organization for students and faculty interested in promoting public health education at MUSC. It encourages interdisciplinary participation and communication among members of the MUSC community through activities promoting awareness and involvement in public health and preventive medicine. PHIG also endorses curriculum changes that reflect increased emphasis on public health issues and preventive health. Educational modules are available for an introduction to public health, and the group maintains an e-mail list-serve in order to communicate scholarship opportunities, conferences, current issues in public health, and local action. Monthly meetings are held to stimulate in-house discussion of public health topics and for the planning of campus-wide events. Activities or speakers are arranged to promote current topics in health policy, international health, environmental health, and community and population health.

Students Interested in Medical Anthropology (SIMA)

The purpose of SIMA is to function as an organization that exposes students to medical anthropology and is open to all MUSC students and faculty.  In doing so, it helps to create a more culturally-sensitive, well-rounded, open-minded class of health professionals within all the colleges at MUSC.

Student Interprofessional Society

An aspect of Creating Collaborative Care (C3) is the Student Interprofessional Society (SIPS). SIPS is a campus-wide student group dedicated to promoting the concept of interprofessional education on campus, out the community, and in practice after graduation. As future healthcare professionals, students at MUSC will be expected to collaborate successfully with a wide spectrum of people outside their specialty. This group was created to facilitate interaction between various disciplines throughout professional training. Through such interaction, it is hoped to improve interprofessional collaboration and thus patient care and outcomes. SIPS coordinates a variety of service and social events designed to help students of all colleges at MUSC learn from, with, and about each other. Some of these events include health fairs, a mentoring program, and the CLARION competition in addition to our monthly meetings.

Membership is open to all students.

Please email Jacquelie Pratt at prattjh@musc.edu for more information.

MUSC Turkish Association (MTA)

MUSC Turkish Association was established in 2009 as a non-profit organization by Turkish students and postdocs working at MUSC.  Our mission is to provide a platform for introducing Turkish culture and Turkey to the MUSC community.  MTA is primarily responsible for representing the Turkish community in international events. It also promotes Turkish culture, music, cuisine, language and history by organizing activities for MUSC and the Charleston and South Carolina communites.