S.A.M.D.A.
The South Asian Medical-Dental Association at Tufts University
Contents:
Established in 1997, this organization serves to bring together students from both the medical and dental schools at Tufts University with the idea of working together and learning about issues pertinent to South Asian health professionals. In addition to organizing various social gatherings, SAMDA sponsors events to further the understanding of the South Asian culture such as cultural shows and slide presentations. SAMDA also sponsors charity projects, guest speakers, and other opportunities to practice basic medical and dental skills. Events to meet and network with other graduate students throughout the Boston area have also been sponsored. SAMDA represents the official Tufts chapter of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI). SAMDA has many members and is open to everyone, not just South Asians.
- Organized General Body Meetings with students from medical, dental, and graduate schools
- Organized several social mixers with students from Boston University, Harvard, and UMass Medical, Dental, Public Health, and Law Schools.
- Sponsored an Eid, the Islamic Holiday, luncheon in 1998 and 1999
- Sponsored a Slide show entitled "India and its Contributions to the World"
- Organized Match Day 1998 Party at Club Karma
- Organized an End of the year Dinner Party at Kashmir Restaurant
- Sent Delegates to the 1998 National AAPI Convention held in Dallas, Texas
- Co-sponsored a Health Fair with Tufts Health Plan at a local Temple where we provided free medical and dental screening as well as information about preventive measures patients can take to ensure optimal health.
- Co-Sponsored a culture and fashion show at Tufts University Health Sciences Campus along with SNMA, TAAHF, and SNDA. Proceeds benefited the Colleen Romain Scholarship Fund
- Co-Organized a New England regional social mixer in March 1999 involing the medical and dental schools from Brown, Harvard, and Boston University, and the Network of South Asian Professionals (NETSAP) Boston Chapter.
Although the participation in SAMDA events varies, there are 150 South Asian students in the medical, dental, and graduate schools here at the Health Sciences Campus in Boston. Membership is open to everyone !
The following individuals are the original co-founders of SAMDA and consist the executive board for 1998-1999 academic year. For more information, any of the following persons may be contacted.
Co-President: Rahul Sharma M'01
Co-President: Jigna Patel D'00
Treasurer: Kriti Bhatia M'01
Secretary: Supriya Verma D'00
Kanchan Ganda, M.D.
Tufts University School of Dental Medicine
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