The Observer, April 27, 2007
Volume XXXIX, Issue 26
AMSA hosts medical school fair, collects books for Africa
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On Wednesday, the Case American Medical Student Association (AMSA) chapter hosted its first annual medical school fair, to which many prominent Ohio institutions sent representatives. Medical schools in attendance were Ohio State, Cincinnati, NEUCOM, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Ohio School of Podiatric Medicine, and Case. Brochures from many other institutions from around the country were also available at the fair.
The idea of hosting a fair came from an AMSA member who then created and chaired the committee responsible for organizing the fair and contacted medical schools about participation. Few schools attend as a major medical school admissions conference was also occurring this week.
The purpose was to aid Case pre-medical students in talking with the schools in which they were interested. It is very expensive for individual students to travel the country visiting specific schools, as explained AMSA co-president Jennifer Gulas explained. With such a large undergraduate pre-med population, the fair is a much-needed service to Case undergraduates.
The low turnout at the fair was expected, said AMSA co-president Bradley Eckert. AMSA is planning on hosting another fair on Oct. 12, this time including pharmacy, vet, and dental schoolsl.
In addition, AMSA is running a book collection program called Books for Africa. The program, an idea of AMSA co-president Bradley Eckert, collects books that will be sent to Africa to help alleviate the literacy crisis on that continent. Collection boxes are currently placed in The Village at 115, but some will be added to Greek housing during finals week.
The program is run by Better World Books, which provides the collection boxes, arranges and pays for shipping and distribution to Africa, and provides 50 cents for each book donated to Case's AMSA chapter.
Students wishing to donate books are reminded only literature that would be a part of a college curriculum is accepted. This includes textbooks that were copyrighted within the last five years, as well as other scholastic literature. Outdated textbooks, journals, magazines, and popular novels cannot be accepted.
