Welcome to the world of being Premed at Cal! As a student and aspiring physician at such a large and prestigious institution, it's not hard to be a little overwhelmed, or at least intimidated, at times. Interested in getting some practical, truly useful information about how to survive and thrive premed? Ready to seize the opportunity to enrich your premed education? Or interested in giving some advice on what you've learned at Berkeley?

Well, you've come to the right place! Our Berkeley Premedical Survival Guide Project committee is dedicated to collecting the experiences of pre-meds right here to help other pre-meds here.

First, you should decide if a career in health care is right for you, and if so, in what form. Many opportunities exist beyond the straight and true physician, and we encourage to explore your options through our annual Pre-Health Career Fair.

Once you've started down your path, it's another thing to survive and thrive at Cal. New this year, and by popular demand, we are thinking of starting study groups for our members.

Another valuable experience for an AMSA member is the AMSA National Convention, held every year in the spring.

AMSA also sponsors various opportunities for medical and premedical students through internships and summer programs. Scroll down for details!

Committee Chair:  Jasmine Lahel jlahel@berkeley.edu

Last year's PMSG: PMSG 2007

The Berkeley Premedical Survival Guide Committee has put up an online guide for pre-meds at Cal and printed several hundred copies of this guide in booklet form. Not only is this informative for the student body, but we hope that the experience of compiling the guide is informative for those involved. Not only do you get to research and learn about medicine, you may also participate in aspects of publication -- from securing funds and budgeting to distribution and sales.

You are welcome to help compile any of the sections listed. If you have suggestions for new sections or improvements, don't hesitate to tell us! Time commitment depends on you. You can choose to focus on a small part of the guide and produce a page. Or you can partake in several sections and learn a lot about medicine! Our goal is to have the first version of the guide distributed and the second in the printing press by the end of the school year. We'd love to get you involved! What could be better -- learning about the various scopes of medicine, while helping your peers do the same?

AMSA's 58th Annual Convention
Themes: Health Care (R)evolution
March 12-16, 2008 Houston, TX

You can join AMSA officers and members in attending this annual convention to:

1) meet hundreds of medical schools and organizations that volunteer abroad

2) network with other premed and medical students all around the nation

3) learn more about the medical field from physicians and surgeons.

4) explore the health issues and bioethics through debates and keynote speakers

5) have a hands-on experience with medical procedures through workshops

6) see the enthusiastic, energetic, and passionate group of people who are doing what you want to do.

Visit amsa.org for more information

Read convention notes from 2003 by Lydia, our former president!

For photos from previous conventions, flip through the scrapbook!

AMSA offers internships/fellowships during the summer and throughout the year, ranging from health policy to end of life care. These are available for preclinical and clinical medical students, and many are open to premedical students (but be sure to check out the details online or through e-mail before applying!). See below for some of the opportunities that have been listed before, and consult www.amsa.org for the most current information.

Jack Rutledge Universal Health Care Internship
AMSA's Jack Rutledge Fellow works full-time on this issue, which has been a strategic priority of AMSA for nearly its entire existence. We need enthusiastic students willing to assist with an online curriculum project, related research, and various grassroots activities, including the development of a broad health professional student coalition in support of universal health care. Interns will gain valuable policy and grassroots-organizing experience. Internships are 4-8 weeks in length and available year-round, including the summer months. Academic credit can be arranged with your home institution. Contact JRF@www.amsa.org for more information.

AMSA Programming Internship (open dates)
Interns will work closely with the Director of Student Programming on everything from aspects of annual convention and fall conference planning to project design and updating AMSA web resources. Email the DSP at dsp@www.amsa.org for the list of projects currently available for an intern's participation.

The AMSA Health Policy Internship
For students interested in health care, public affairs, policy, and politics, AMSA is offering an internship at AMSA's national headquarters near Washington, D.C. Interns will work with AMSA's Legislative Affairs Director, assisting in the everyday business of AMSA's Legislative Branch, which may include lobbying on Capitol Hill, attending coalition strategy meetings, researching current topics, drafting policy statements, and organizing briefings. No previous policy or political experience is necessary. Electives are 4-8 weeks in length and available year-round, including the summer months. Academic credit can be arranged with your home institution.

Health Policy Leadership Institute
The one-week Health Policy Leadership Institute is designed to provide tomorrow's physicians with the knowledge and skills necessary to shape the evolving U.S. health care system. http://www.lonepear.com/