SNMA History
Rising out of the American struggle and drama or the Civil Rights era, in the early 1960s, the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) rose-up, like a budding flower, from African American’s struggles for equity, recognition, and inclusion in American society. The SNMA was founded in 1964 as a sub-division (the Medical Student Branch) of the National Medical Association (NMA) as an initiative to include medical students in the association’s ranks. The NMA, representing the nation’s collective of working medical professionals, recognized the need to give active support to medical students, and other young scientists, and encourage them in pursuing careers as physicians. However, by 1970, SNMA’s participating students felt that their concerns and objectives were different than those of the more senior medical practitioners and the collective group moved to become an independent organization. In 1971, the SNMA’ chapters at Howard University and Meharry Medical College formed the new, independent organization, the Student National Medical Association, in Washington, D.C., devising its own Constitution and Bylaws and filing for IRS 501(c)3 non-profit status. The SNMA, Inc. was born.
Early achievements of the budding organization in the 1970s and 1980s included the publication of the association’s first “signature” publication, The Black Bag, and the implementation of annual regional conventions in SNMA’s ten regions nationally. With increased minority enrollments rising at schools throughout the nation and on most medical school campuses. SNMA’s membership network grew steadily. In its first 25 years, as now, the medical students conducted much of the work of the organization under the direction of the medical student Board of Directors. The end of the 1980s saw the birth of the Minority Association of Prehealth Students (MAPS) within SNMA. MAPS led to a growth in associate membership and bringing to reality the mission of SNMA as a pipeline for entry to the health professions.
Due to increased outreach brought about by both advances in technology and administrative capacity, the 1990s saw a tremendous increase in membership growth, as well as nationwide interest and participation in the Annual Medical Education Conference, the national convention. Meeting the needs of this increased volume of activity, SNMA employed its first permanent full-time staff members. Programmatic initiatives were complemented during these years by the introduction of several long-term business plans and SNMA’s mission extended into underserved communities at home and abroad through interventions like local Health Fairs and other community-based, direct-contact activities. Notably, SNMA conducted its first International Mission, traveling to Jamaica, West Indies, in 1999, were medical students assisted physicians in treatments at local clinics.
In the new millennium, in 2000, at the peak of the AIDS crisis in America, SNMA enjoyed another growth spurt, when it obtained a significant federal contract with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct HIV/AIDS intervention and prevention training through the CDC-sponsored HIP Corps program. HIP Corps was a unique concept, wherein SNMA medical student members served as both agents and trainers of other students to conduct and deliver information to the community regarding HIV and AIDS. Other contracts were to follow, as the value of student interventions and influence began to be recognized. The need for more physical space and staff became essential and necessitated the acquisition of an office building in Washington, D.C., which the SNMA purchased in 2000. To sustain its growth, new policies and procedural guidelines were anticipated to accommodate development, to ensure continued longevity, and sustained growth of the organization. The dynamic growth of technology has transformed communication throughout the organization.
Transitioning to new and creative program strategies has required the diligence and persistence of SNMA leaders, members, and office staff, as business practices continue to evolve. The website and other electronic communication now have an immediate and integral role in serving the membership and the community, and virtual presentations through the internet have transformed the way in which information and education are shared with its members, overcoming previous limitations to outreach. What remains constant is the mission and policy governance by and for the medical students, as SNMA—a perennial now—continues its advancement into the future.
In the new millennium, in 2000, at the peak of the AIDS crisis in America, SNMA enjoyed another growth spurt, when it obtained a significant federal contract with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct HIV/AIDS intervention and prevention training through the CDC-sponsored HIP Corps program. HIP Corps was a unique concept, wherein SNMA medical student members served as both agents and trainers of other students to conduct and deliver information to the community regarding HIV and AIDS. Other contracts were to follow, as the value of student interventions and influence began to be recognized. The need for more physical space and staff became essential and necessitated the acquisition of an office building in Washington, D.C., which the SNMA purchased in 2000. To sustain its growth, new policies and procedural guidelines were anticipated to accommodate development, to ensure continued longevity, and sustained growth of the organization. The dynamic growth of technology has transformed communication throughout the organization.
Transitioning to new and creative program strategies has required the diligence and persistence of SNMA leaders, members, and office staff, as business practices continue to evolve. The website and other electronic communication now have an immediate and integral role in serving the membership and the community, and virtual presentations through the Internet have transformed the way in which information and education are shared with its members, overcoming previous limitations to outreach. What remains constant is the mission and policy governance by and for the medical students, as SNMA—a perennial now—continues its advancement into the future.