UC chapter of the American Medical Association celebrates Advocacy Week

The University of Cincinnati (UC) student chapter of the American Medical Association (AMA) raised $14,000 as a part of a Casino Night fundraiser during their annual Advocacy Week held Sept. 10-14, in the College of Medicine.

The purpose of Advocacy Week was to engage UC medical students in events that promote medical outreach, advocacy and policy writing. The week started with a resolution writing workshop and also included a physician meet-and-greet dinner, a medical advocacy fair and the annual Casino Night which allowed medical students and guests to take part in a raffle with prizes.

About 240 people attended Casino Night. That activity happened in the Great American Ballpark. Advocacy Week also helped boost AMA memberships with more than half of the first-year medical class now part of the organization, says Haidn Foster, a second-year medical student who is co-president of the UC student chapter of the AMA.

“Money raised helps to fund us sending students to national conferences and putting on future events,” says Foster. “Casino Night was a great event for our medical students.”

Foster says medical student members of the AMA benefit from networking, attending events and having the chance to help shape AMA policy on a host of medical issues.