OMSA aims to provide equitable opportunity to all applicants. We strongly encourage applications from students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, including but not limited to people with disabilities, female-identifying, LGBTQ+ , Black, Indigenous, low-income, and first-generation communities. If you require accommodations to apply to our team, contact operations@omsa.ca or president@omsa.ca
Click HERE for an overview of each committee. Please note that the terms of reference for each committee is currently under review and is subject to change.
Advocacy Partnerships: The Advocacy Partnerships team is responsible for building and maintaining a partnership network to advance OMSA’s advocacy work. Partners in the past have included organizations such as Docs for LTC Justice, Decent Work and Health Network, Health Providers Against Poverty (HPAP), and others.
Day of Action: This team organizes the logistics of the Day of Action, an annual event where students meet with MPPs, to advocate for a key issue relevant to Ontarians that resonates with Ontario medical students. Day of Action is preceded by a training weekend to help medical students develop advocacy skills and practice speaking with policymakers and the media.
Longitudinal Government: The Longitudinal Government Team works to engage OMSA with the provincial government throughout the year. Members from the six medical schools will develop and maintain relationships with the MPP of their local riding and/or MPPs relevant to OMSA’s advocacy priorities. The members will also research and invite MPPs to the Day of Action and participate actively in facilitating the meetings.
Policy, Response & Implementation: The Policy & Response & Implementation Team aims to establish OMSA as an eminent and knowledgeable voice on the Ontario health and policy landscape. This team has three sub-committees:
Digital Strategy: The Digital Strategy Committee is responsible for developing a comprehensive marketing plan to increase engagement with Ontario medical students through our digital platforms. Tasks include maintaining, improving, and utilizing OMSA’s Websites including: omsa.ca, osmerc.ca and omsw.ca to execute their strategic vision. Applicants do not need technical skills when applying.
Design: The Design Team is responsible for designing logos, infographics, and assorted promotional materials as needed for initiatives spearheaded by various OMSA portfolios. All team members should have some familiarity and experience with graphic design/ creating graphics. Here is a overview highlighting some of the team’s work.
Marketing and Engagement: OMSA’s marketing and engagement team is searching for applicants that have a unique vision for OMSAs brand and wish to exercise their creative freedom on an institutional level. The committee is focused on finding passionate individuals that will push the boundaries beyond the typical “copy and paste” approach to information distribution. The Marketing and Engagement Committee is responsible for, but not limited to, call for submissions and production of the monthly OMSA Communique, sharing OMSA events and promotions via OMSA’s social media platforms, responding to comments and questions on OMSA’s social media platform, and using OMSA’s social media platforms to share opportunities and news relating to Ontario medical students. OMSA’s marketing and engagement team is searching for applicants that have a unique vision for OMSAs brand and wish to exercise their creative freedom on an institutional level. The committee is focused on finding passionate individuals that will push the boundaries beyond the typical “copy and paste” approach to information distribution. The Marketing and Engagement Committee is responsible for, but not limited to, call for submissions and production of the monthly OMSA Communique, sharing OMSA events and promotions via OMSA’s social media platforms, responding to comments and questions on OMSA’s social media platform, and using OMSA’s social media platforms to share opportunities and news relating to Ontario medical students.
Student Highlights: The Student Highlights Team’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to, coordinating and releasing the OMSA Student of the Season and sharing Ontario student highlights and initiatives. The team’s focus is to share and highlight the initiatives of Ontario medical students to help empower students and to spread awareness of initiatives across the province.
Bilingualism: As part of our goal to improve French-speaking students’ access to our educational activities, services and resources, we are recruiting students to join our Bilingualism Committee. Committee members will participate in the preparation and/or translation of communication documents in French.
Ensure appropriate upkeep of all French information on OMSA’s Website;
Translate important documents such as the Incoming Student Handbook or Health Human
Resource Guide, identified by OMSA Council.
Work alongside OMSA’s Design and Website Subcommittees to ensure appropriate updates.
Education Services: The Education Services Committee encompasses a broad range of initiatives, including the Incoming Student Handbook, Clerkship Resources, and Alternative and Adjunct Careers Guide. This committee endeavours to create tools to support medical students in their career exploration and training journey.
OSMERC: The Ontario Student Medical Education Research Conference (OSMERC) is a health professions education conference for students, by students. The OSMERC Committee is responsible for creating, developing, and running this annual conference.
MSERG: The Medical Student Education Research Grant (MSERG) aims to engage and support trainees in medical education scholarship. The MSERG Committee implements and oversees the annual program, including the application and review process.
Medical Education Policy: The Medical Education Policy Committee leads the editing, publishing, and disseminating of position papers. This committee also collaborates and consults with medical students across Ontario to incorporate actionable changes into medical education.
Internal EDID: The Internal EDID committee will act as resources and advocates for EDID priorities within OMSA. Each General Member will be responsible for working with OMSA Council to ensure accountability of the portfolio towards OMSA’s EDI Priorities.
External EDID: The External EDID committee will work to support EDID initiatives beyond the OMSA Board including the annual EDID Conference and networking with other EDID-minded student organizations such as the Black Medical Student Association of Canada (BMSAC), Indigenous Medical Student Association of Canada (IMSAC), and the Canadian Queer Medical Students Association (CQMSA).
Northern Ontario & Rural Medicine (NORM): The NORM Sub-Committee Chairs will have a great deal of responsibility, which includes liaising with school administration and/or community partners, helping to organize events, secure funding for projects, and collaborating with other OMSA committees. Junior Sub-Committee Chairs will work to fufill the three primary aims of NORM while focusing on northern and rural student engagement, northern and rural health advocacy, and gaps within northern and rural medical education.
Grants and Awards: This committee will develop, improve and administer OMSA’s financial grant and award offerings. Responsibilities will include visiting and updating OMSA’s Grants and Awards rubrics, marking submissions and developing/researching/funding new and innovative awards for Ontario Medical Students. One goal of this committee is to give our grants a better focus on EDI. People with different lived experiences and backgrounds will be crucial in this mission and are encouraged to apply.
Governance: The Governance Committee aims to achieve organizational excellence through reviewing, updating, and ensuring compliance with new and existing OMSA policies and procedures, maintaining and updating constitution and bylaws, and identifying organizational risks and gaps.
Mentorship: The OMSA Mentorship Program aims to establish one-on-one relationships between Ontario medical students and physicians and residents based on professional, clinical, and personal interests. The goal of our committee is to provide direct support, encouragement, and mentorship that is specifically tailored to students’ needs and goals.
Wellness Engagement and Programming (WEPS): The WEPS committee develops evidence based wellness initiatives for medical students throughout Ontario. These initiatives are aimed at promoting self-care; wellness education; and prioritizing physical, mental, and emotional health. Past projects have included board game nights, resident panels, and Perspectives in Medicine, a creative writing and art platform.
Wellness Retreat: OMSA’s Wellness Retreat is an annual weekend retreat that takes place during the winter/spring of each school year. The OMSA Wellness Committee organizes and executes this retreat, with the goal of providing students from different medical schools with the opportunity to relax and connect with each other through activities like skiing, campfires, and movie nights.
Mental Health Research: The Mental Health Research Committee creates resources, plans research studies, and conducts literature reviews that seek to improve the mental health and wellbeing of Ontario medical students. Examples of past work include infographics, Scrub In articles, resource documents, and research studies.
Officially founded in May 1974 during the Ontario Medical Association’s AGM, the Student Section of the OMA was started using the acronym “OMSA” (short for Ontario Medical Students Association) in 2004.
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The views expressed on this website do not in any way represent those of the Ontario Medical Association (OMA).
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