Medical students are the future of the profession, which is why the Academy now offers national membership status to medical students. When students join as national AAP members, they also become full members of the Academy’s largest section, the Section on Medical Students, Residents and Fellowship Trainees (SOMSRFT).
The AAP community recognized the importance of having medical students join fellowship trainees and residents as members when it voted in favor of a bylaw change in 2014. The students had petitioned the Academy to become a recognized national category of membership to access information to support their work for the Academy at the national, chapter, section and council levels.
They now have access to benefits, including federal advocacy information and letter-writing campaign resources; online access to AAP News, Pediatrics and Red Book; and the ability to join select sections.
Student members also have free access to the National Conference & Exhibition, which hosts an annual SOMSRFT assembly. The 2016 session offers medical student-specific programming and networking opportunities, including how to be a competitive residency applicant and a keynote address by pediatrician advocate and California state Sen. Richard J. Pan, M.D., FAAP.
Annual dues are $22. To join, visit http://shop.aap.org/aap-membership/. Follow SOMSRFT on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/AAPSOMSRFT/ and @AAPSOMSRFT on Twitter.
Read the latest issue