Start an MSDCI Chapter

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Helping others is not only beneficial for those who are helped, but also gives happiness to those who help. Helping others is one way to expand social networks and strengthen relationships with others.

Welcome to the Guide on Creating a Chapter of Medical Students with Disability and Chronic Illness (MSDCI) National. Our mission is to support and advocate for medical students with disabilities and chronic illnesses. By starting a chapter at your institution, you will join a network of students committed to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment.

Step-by-Step Guide

1. Understand MSDCI National’s Mission and Vision

Before starting a chapter, familiarize yourself with MSDCI National’s mission, vision, and values. This will help you align your chapter’s activities with the organization’s overall goals.

Mission

Medical Students with Disability and Chronic Illness unites and empowers medical students through advocacy, mentorship, education, and community building while using our collective power towards advancing the improvement of healthcare for the disabled community. MSDCI National is an organization dedicated to raising awareness of chronic illness and disabilities amongst medical trainees and professionals and addressing the stigma and challenges associated with practicing medicine while having a chronic illness or disability. We aim to address the needs of underserved communities and increase the number of clinically excellent, culturally humble, and socially conscious physicians in medicine.

Principles

To advocate for a medical field that is inclusive of care providers with disabilities and chronic illnesses, and to empower people with disabilities and chronic illnesses to pursue careers in the field of medicine.
To educate future healthcare workers on the experiences of people living with disabilities and chronic illnesses, with an aim to promote the dignity, agency, and individuality of each person’s lived experience.
To promote the dissemination of information relative to disability issues in the field of medical education.
To explore and seek to resolve the unique challenges, obstacles, and responsibilities specific to disabled and/or chronically ill medical students and physicians.
To advocate for a medical field that is inclusive to care providers with disabilities and chronic illnesses, and to empower people with disabilities and chronic illnesses to pursue careers in the field of medicine.

Core Values

COMMUNITY:

MSDCI National fosters connections between disability student groups at medical schools across the country and between our chapters and near-peer mentors. By developing new chapters, we broaden the reach of disability advocacy and further normalize disability in medical students and trainees.

ADVOCACY:

Our programming is heavily focused on bringing disability awareness into medical communities. MSDCI National provides shared resources and strategies for effective advocacy and seeks to illuminate the intersectional role of the disability community in social justice efforts.

EDUCATION:

MSDCI National is dedicated to improving accessibility for students and trainees with disabilities or chronic illnesses. We are creating resource guides with tips and tricks to help navigate the medical journey and documents to guide accessibility changes at medical institutions.

ACCESSIBILITY:

We believe that disability education is essential for addressing bias against disabled providers and advancing health equity for patients with disabilities. Through curricular recommendations, clinical skills projects, and examinations of technical standards at our institutions, we seek to improve medical education for patients and providers alike.

2. Gather Interested Students

Identify and gather a group of students who are interested in forming a chapter. This core group will help share responsibilities and bring diverse perspectives to the chapter.

3. Contact MSDCI National

Reach out to the MSDCI National headquarters to express your interest in starting a chapter. You can contact us via email at chapters@msdci.org National.org or through our website contact form.

4. Secure Institutional Support

Seek support from your institution. This may include obtaining recognition as an official student organization, securing funding, and finding a faculty advisor.

5. Develop a Chapter Constitution

Draft a constitution that outlines the structure and governance of your chapter. This should include:

Name of the chapter
Purpose and objectives
Membership criteria
Officers and their duties
Meeting procedures
Amendment procedures

6. Plan Activities and Events

Organize events and activities that align with MSDCI National’s mission. Consider hosting:

Workshops and seminars: Educational sessions on disability rights, advocacy, and healthcare access.
Support groups: Regular meetings for members to share experiences and support each other.
Advocacy campaigns: Initiatives to raise awareness and promote policy changes within your institution.
Social events: Activities to build community and foster connections among members.

7. Promote Your Chapter

Use various channels to promote your chapter and attract members. This could include social media, flyers, and collaborating with other student organizations.

8. Report and Evaluate

Evaluate your events and activities to ensure they meet the needs of your members and align with MSDCI National’s mission.

9. Resources

Sample Constitution: Example MSDCI Constitution

Contact Us: Email: chapters@MSDCI National.org

10. Conclusion

Starting a MSDCI National chapter is a rewarding experience that can make a significant impact on your campus. We are here to support you every step of the way. If you have any questions, do not
hesitate to reach out.

Thank you for your interest in MSDCI National!

Starting a MSDCI National chapter is a rewarding experience that can make a significant impact on your campus. We are here to support you every step of the way. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to reach out.

Thank you for your interest in MSDCI National!

For questions regarding starting a chapter, please contact us at
chapters@msdcinational.org.

Note:

Founded in 2019, MSDCI unites and empowers medical students with disability and/or chronic illness through advocacy, mentorship, education, and community building while using our collective power towards advancing the improvement of healthcare for the disabled community.

We recommend anyone interested in starting a chapter check out our Chapter Starter Kit. We’ve created templates for organization constitutions and suggested events and advocacy opportunities to help your student organization hit the ground running!

To Apply to be an MSDCI Chapter:

Prepare an organization mission statement
Reach out to students at your school to find additional interested members (only one student is required for chapter enrollment, but we encourage chapters to recruit broadly within their institution to build a larger local community of disabled students and allies).
Find a faculty mentor at your school that is willing to serve as your MSDCI chapter’s faculty advisor.
Complete the chapter application form.
Complete a member roster to be submitted with your application.
Email completed application to chapters@msdci.org
Once your application has been reviewed, you will receive an email updating you on your chapter status. Approved chapters will receive an electronic Chapter Certificate verifying affiliation with MSDCI.

Donate to make a difference today.

Invest in the future of inclusive medicine: empower medical students with disabilities to become the change they want to see in healthcare”

Governing Documents

Diversity

Service

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