More than 50 medical students representing all of the state’s five medical schools gathered at the North Carolina Medical Society (NCMS) Center for Leadership in Medicine in Raleigh last Saturday for an afternoon of learning, networking and develop the necessary skills to survive medical school and beyond.
Devdutta Sangvai, MD, MBA, an NCMS Past President, shared why it’s especially important now for medical students to get involved in organized medicine. Guest speaker, Niket Sonpal, MD, a Gastroenterology and Hepatology Fellow at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City spoke on the “History of Accidental Discovery in Medicine,” and a physician panel imparted their wisdom on how to be ready for residency. There were breakout sessions on leadership development, board review and STEP study strategies, how to stay physically and mentally well and strong throughout medical school and residency and tips on how to keep personal finances healthy.
“The first annual NCMS student summit was a wonderful opportunity to learn from the current leaders in medicine and meet medical students all over North Carolina,” said Audrey Lan, a medical student at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. “I first heard Dr. Niket Sonpal speak at the AMA conference in Chicago last summer, and I was very excited to hear his insights on accidental discoveries in medicine and STEP study strategies.”
Based on the interest in and success of this inaugural Student Summit, watch for future events like this.
Thanks for reaching out to the medical students. It is a great first step. didn’t see it mentioned but patient advocacy is an important part of any future physician’s life. Advocacy is what NCMS and AMA do best. That’s why membership in our organization of our future generation of physicians is so critical. Professional membership is a crucial first step that becomes a habit over a medical career. We need to facilitate that first step.
Thanks again.
Chuck Willson