About Us
UC Berkeley Premedical AMSA Chapter
Our Mission: The mission of UC Berkeley AMSA Premed Chapter is to provide information, support and leadership development for future physicians-in-training at Cal. As activists, we seek to foster our philosophy of diversity and community service in the premedical student, while providing benefits and service which aid future physicians-in-training as they prepare for a career in medicine.
We are a group of students (mostly pre-meds, but everyone is welcome!) dedicated to giving back to the community, learning about medicine today, and creating a welcoming and supportive community at Cal. Founded a little more than a decade ago in the 90's by UC Berkeley students, it is a affiliated with the oldest and largest independent association of physicians-in-training in the United States-- the national American Medical Student Association (AMSA), which is known to have over six decades of medical student activism.
Today, UC Berkeley AMSA is a student-governed, UC Berkeley organization supported by the ASUC and is committed to representing the concerns of future physicians-in-training. With a membership of more than 150 premedical students, UC Berkeley AMSA continues its commitment to providing a support network and resource for pre-medical students interested in health and medicine.
How is UC Berkeley AMSA different from other premedical organizations at UC Berkeley?
When you join UC Berkeley AMSA, you become more than just a part of a premedical organization on campus. We emphasize leadership as well as professionalism. On a national level, you also become part of a vital force of future physicians who believe that patients and health professionals are partners in the management of health care and that access to high-quality healthcare is a right and not a privilege. At AMSA, activism is a way of life. Student idealism is transformed into meaningful public service, innovation and institutional change.
We participate in a number of short and long term volunteer projects including work with foster care kids, the disabled, the elderly and the homeless. Our Action Committees (see sidebar menu under "Committees") are dedicated to exploring humanistic and current social developments in the medical world.
We also work to create a support network for premeds at Cal. Annually, AMSA organizes the UC Berkeley Pre-Health Conference (click here for last year's program) in the spring to provide access to useful, interesting, fun pre-health workshops and resources. You can learn even more at our general meetings and events.
Collaborations
We collaborate with other organizations on the Berkeley campus and with the University of California, San Francisco on events such as:
- Cal Health Coalition-- AMSA events
- UCSF AMSA-- UCSF-UCB Mentorship Program
- Kaplan-- Sponsor, AMSA event
- mcbUSA-- AMSA events
Questions?
Contact President, Jennifer Kahng at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
National AMSA: Click here to learn more.
Strategic Priorities: For more than a decade, AMSA has represented the voice of future physicians-in-training in their efforts to best serve the students and the public. In 2007, national AMSA leaders selected the following four strategic priorities to focus the activism of its 62,000-plus membership. AMSA is dedicated to allocating time, energy and resources toward fulfilling our goals within these priorities set by the national AMSA.
1. Quality, Affordable Healthcare for All
AMSA mobilizes students in advocating for quality, affordable health care for all. AMSA works through state and national coalitions to improve existing public programs and to advocate for a public national health insurance program.
2. Global Health Equity
This encompasses the issues of wellness, safety, opportunity and environment that make up a healthy society. It also highlights the interconnected nature of all people and our responsibility for rational and proportional assistance for all people, regardless of the country in which they live. Justice and equity are paramount to assuring that race, religion, income, gender, sexual preference or nationality are not factors limiting access to quality care.
3. Enriching Medicine Through Diversity
As the world becomes more integrated and mobile, the need for a health care workforce to reflect our society grows more acute. AMSA’s independence was fueled by the civil rights era and continues today in advocacy for culturally-appropriate care, underrepresented providers in medicine, and admission criteria that do not disadvantage those from different backgrounds.
4. Professional Integrity, Development, and Student Well-Being
Physicians have long had a sacred social mission and AMSA seeks to help create physicians who uphold their duties to patients and society alike. An important aspect of professionalism, however, entails self-care, and we are dedicated to helping physicians-in-training through undergraduate, medical and residency training while maintaining balance and retaining commitment to personal and professional growth.