M E D I C A L   S T U D E N T   S E C T I O N   N E W S L E T T E R

Happy August, fellow MSS Member!

We hope that you are settling back into the swing of things on campus and in your clerkships. As you continue to soak up the sun and enjoy the last few weeks of summer, we would like to announce some exciting opportunities and events coming up!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Live Zoom: Advocacy Grand Rounds with Dr. Beene
Wednesday, September 3rd at 7pm

We are excited to host Dr. Lauren Beene—an Ohio based physician, co-founder and Executive Director of Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights, and a leader of Protect Choice Ohio, the grassroots coalition that played a key role in gathering the signatures needed to place Issue 1 on the 2023 General Election ballot. She now serves as a member of the Executive Committee of Ohioans United for Reproductive Rights, the broad-based non-partisan coalition conducting the campaign to enshrine reproductive freedom in the Ohio constitution. Most recently, Dr. Beene is known for her unionizing efforts. We are excited to learn about her advocacy!
Register to Attend >

Live Zoom: Advocacy Grand Rounds with Elsa Khan
Wednesday, September 17th at 7pm 

We are excited to host Elsa Khan—a medical student and ambassador for Aunt Flow, a program committed to ensuring everyone has access to period products. Come learn how Elsa implemented the distribution of free menstrual products in high-traffic bathrooms at NEOMED. She’ll discuss her journey, including how she advocated for the use of campus funds to tackle period inequality!
Register to Attend >

Webinar: Student Loan Updates & Repayment Strategies
Tuesday, September 30th from 12 – 1pm

The event is free for all OSMA members! There have been many changes to student loan policy in 2025, and this webinar is a great way for you to understand the changes and adjustments as you adjust your plan to repay your loans in the future. The webinar will be led by Michael Jerkins, MD, M.Ed, the president and co-founder of Panacea Financial.
RSVP to ATTEND > 

Additional On-Demand Webinars
Watch at your leisure:

• Smart Investing & Retirement Planning for Physicians
• Turning High Income into High Net Worth
• Contract Review Tips & Salary Data
  
  

APPLY FOR ADVOCACY
GRAND ROUNDS

Advocacy Grand Rounds is an initiative that was started last year to showcase students’ and members’ advocacy efforts and knowledge. Sessions occur Wednesdays at 7pm on Zoom for the 2025-2026 academic year. We invite you to sign up or nominate a peer or physician mentor to host a session!
Sign Up or Nominate Someone >

REMINDER: CHAPTER LEADERSHIP

Please schedule meetings with OSMA MSS Chair, Sara Zandvakili, and OSMA MSS Vice Chair, Saaleha Shamsi, if you have not already!

Our board is here to support you as you grow your OSMA chapter on campus! If you have not already met with Sara (sara.zandvakili@rockets.utoledo.edu) and/or Saaleha (sshamsi@neomed.edu), please plan to do so.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHTS

Summer Scholars!

During the summer, we had 8 amazing Ohio medical students who received scholarships from the OSMA Foundation to pursue unpaid internships and deepen their interest and experience in research. Here are some highlights from two of our scholars!

Aidan Butler, M2 (University of Toledo College of Medicine)  Aidan did research on benzodiazepines and psilocybin and their effects on the course of Alzheimer’s disease. One area of his research focused on determining whether long-term benzodiazepine use contributed to cognitive decline and progression to dementia.

Adeline Whaley, M2 (NEOMED) Adeline did a research project focusing on the development of a clinical calculator to guide opioid prescribing following laparotomies in cancer patients. Her project aimed to promote safer prescribing practices to combat the opioid epidemic.

Keep an eye out over the next few months for applications for 2026 Summer Scholars and more highlights!

Government Relations Fellow

Over the summer, Pratik Thakur (M2) from The Ohio State University College of Medicine worked with the OSMA government relations team at the statehouse to advocate for bills that support physicians and improve access to care for patients. Great work, Pratik!

RECRUITMENT TIME!

We encourage you to tell your peers to join OSMA's Medical Student Section as a FREE member!

Not only is our growing OSMA MSS a great support system for all medical students in Ohio, but members get free benefits like:

• Access to educational webinars spanning topics like financial literacy to policy changes
• Peer networking opportunities and mentorship
• Membership to a supportive community of Ohio medical students and alumni
• Scholarships for research and conferences
• Ability to participate in OSMA policy work
• And much more!

View Our Section Webpage > 
Stay in the Know at Our GroupMe >

OUR MSS MICROBRICK IS LIVE!

The OSMA MSS Microbrick is your one-stop destination for all things OSMA MSS related! It contains a comprehensive calendar, information on the upcoming policy cycle, leadership opportunities, and more. Check out the links below and bookmark them for faster access.

• Microbrick Overview - The general microbrick!
• Roadmap to a Resolution - A guide on how to write resolutions for the upcoming policy cycle.
• Leadership and Engagement Opportunities - Exciting ways to get involved with the OSMA MSS.
• MSS Calendar
• Have an initiative to spotlight or an event you would like to host? Email Shannon Lam (slam2@neomed.edu) and Maya Dunson (maya.dunson@osumc.edu) the details!
  
  

SHOWCASE YOUR
RESEARCH POSTER

Stay tuned and save the date! MSS Poster Showcase at the 2025 Annual OSMA Meeting in Columbus, OH from April 10-12— more details to follow! 

For all general questions or concerns, please email Sara (sara.zandvakili@rockets.utoledo.edu) or Saaleha (sshamsi@neomed.edu)!

Thank You for your Membership.
Sincerely,

Shannon Lam
Secretary & Treasurer of the OSMA Medical Student Section