Council & Committee Members

Sharon Yeung, Queen's University: president@omsa.ca

The President of OMSA is the elected chief officer and is responsible for working with the President-Elect to provide strategic direction for organization, support all VPs and VP Externals in their work to develop & implement existing and new programs to serve Ontario’s medical students, and listen, respond to, and represent the interests of Ontario's medical students as a spokesperson for OMSA. If you have an idea, a question, comment, or a concern of any nature that you would like to bring to OMSA’s attention, the President would love to hear from you!

Ushma Purohit, University of Toronto: president_elect@omsa.ca

The President-Elect of OMSA is responsible for working with the President to provide strategic direction for the organization, support all Directors and VP Externals in their work to develop & implement existing and new programs to serve Ontario’s medical students, and listen, respond to, and represent the interests of Ontario's medical students as a spokesperson for OMSA. If you have an idea, a question, comment, or a concern of any nature that you would like to bring to OMSA’s attention, the President-Elect would love to hear from you!

Saara Punjani, McMaster University: communications@omsa.ca

The Vice President of Communications is responsible for engaging all Ontario medical students by promoting and making accessible the organization's advocacy, events, and services. This includes managing the website, sending regular e-mails out to all students, social media, and coordination of orientation and first-year presentations. The Vice President of Communications (along with the chairs) liaises with the OMA, channels communication with other external bodies, and coordinates the dissemination of press releases for the organization.

Michael Scaffidi, Queen's University: education@omsa.ca

The Vice President of Education takes responsibility for encouraging and supporting the voice of Ontario’s medical students in the continual improvement of the medical education system. The Vice President of Education facilitates the work of the OMSA Education Committee and represents medical students to provincial educational organizations such as the Council of Ontario Faculties of Medicine and the CPSO. Please don’t hesitate to contact the Director of Education regarding position statements, exciting innovations, or questions about education.

Zachary Barkhouse, McMaster University: operations@omsa.ca

The Vice President of Operations oversees council duties and liaises closely with the Chairs. The primary responsibilities focus on maintaining the constitution and bylaws, overseeing the internal functions of council, organizing the annual Leadership Summit and chairing the Governance Committee.

Jessica Scott, McMaster University: advocacy@omsa.ca

The Vice President of Advocacy leads OMSA's efforts to advocate for changes in education, health policy and care delivery that will benefit both Ontario medical students and the people we serve. This portfolio represents medical student perspective on educational, political, and social issues through determining and promoting key issues of concern for lobbying the Ontario government, and empowering medical students in grassroots advocacy initiatives. 

Courtney Leach, Queen's University: student_affairs@omsa.ca

The Vice President of Student Affairs works within OMSA to benefit medical students across the province on various different levels. The most well known portfolio is wellness. With the help of the Wellness Committee, the wellness retreat is organized to remind us as future physicians to take a break from the busyness of our professional lives. The VP Student Affairs also helps organize equipment sales for your clinical skills. Lastly, the VP Student Affairs also works closely with OMA Advantages to get discounts for medical student needs.

Rae Woodhouse, Queen's University: finance@omsa.ca

The Vice President of Finance maintains the accounting records and oversees the budget. The VP Finance oversees all grants distributed by OMSA and works with the President and President-Elect to liaise with OMSA's sponsors.