Committees with Student Membership

The following is a list of committees where students work alongside faculty members in a variety of subject areas. Each year, students are selected by the Student Body Committee to represent their classmates on a particular committee. If you are interested in joining a committee, look for an email from the SBC in the early fall with application information (with the exception of the final 2 committees listed, which hold elections at a separate time).

*PURCH/UMass Chan - Baystate committees are also included below.

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Capstone Faculty Committee (CFC)
Faculty/Staff Contact: Rachel Gerstein, PhD
The Capstone Faculty Committee (CFC) works with the Capstone Course Team Leadership in an advisory capacity, with specific regard to course policy and defining learning objectives. In addition to acting as liaisons with student colleagues and the course team, student representatives attend the biannual retreat-style CFC meetings to work with the CFC and course team to improve the longitudinal experience for medical students.

Committee on Equal Opportunity & Diversity (CEOD)
Faculty/Staff Contact: Holly Brown
The Committee on Equal Opportunity & Diversity (CEOD) provides oversight of the Medical School's policies, procedures and activities to assure that the Medical School does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion, political affiliation, national origin, ethnic group or veteran status in recruiting, hiring, promoting, paying, and retaining staff, faculty and students. The Committee monitors and recommends to the Equal Opportunity Office and Chancellor, policies, procedures, activities, and programs to implement the Medical School's affirmative action program and assure that the Medical School fully complies with all state and federal guidelines relevant to the equal opportunity rights of protected classes. The Committee also promotes sensitivity to, and awareness of, diversity among individuals at the Medical School.

Committee on Scientific & Research Affairs (CSRA)
Faculty/Staff Contact: Javier Irazoqui, PhD and/or Dori Schafer, PhD
The Committee on Scientific & Research Affairs (CSRA) shall advise and consult with the Faculty Council, Executive Council, and Student Government Alliance on substantial matters resulting from committee decisions regarding the Scientific and Research interests of UMass Chan. The CSRA regularly reviews the standing of all core facilities of UMass Chan and provides feedback on helping improve the user experience for our researchers.

Educational Policy Committee (EPC)
Faculty/Staff Contact: Erin McMaster, MD, Patricia Seymour, MD
The Educational Policy Committee (EPC) shall have the responsibility for planning, coordinating, directing, monitoring, evaluating, and continuously revising a comprehensive program of general medical education for the training of physicians. These responsibilities shall include the development of educational objectives and policies pertaining to the program leading to the MD degree, the approval of new courses or programmatic requirements, and standards for grading, student advancement and promotion. As well, the EPC is responsible for the ongoing monitoring and review of the educational program's content; methods of instruction and assessment; learner outcomes, quality and overall effectiveness. The EPC shall also have the responsibility for stimulating and supporting scholarship and innovation in medical education. The members will be responsible for organizing specialized subcommittees as needed and as defined in the EPC's bylaws. The EPC Committee includes two voting and one non-voting student member. 

Ethics & Treatment Issues Committee (ETIC)
Faculty/Staff Contact: Anne Winslow, MPH
The Ethics and Treatment Issues Committee (ETIC) is tasked with monitoring and advising on ethical issues throughout the institution. Most of these pertain to difficult questions that arise in the clinical setting. Business and research issues are also periodically considered. The ETIC's functions are as follows: Providing clinical ethics consultations at the request of UMMMC patients, their families, or their caregivers; Reviewing, writing, and modifying hospital policies on ethics-related issues (e.g. Informed Consent, Organ Donation, and Limitation of Treatment); Offering medical ethics educational activities for members of the UMMMC community. The Committee is the official ethics board of the hospital. We deal primarily with medical ethics issues, as other bodies have responsibility for research and business ethics. We spend our time primarily in 3 areas – providing support to clinicians to help them resolve ethical issues in the form of ethics consults, developing policies that address ethics in clinical practice at UMMMC, and providing education.

ITC Education Subcommittee
Faculty/Staff Contact: Melissa Fischer, MD
We have membership from all 3 schools,GME, and the clinical system and meet monthly. Our purpose is to help set priorities for educational effort in IT,  provide feedback  to ongoing IT educational efforts, and help develop a vision for effectively using technology to enhance learning within and across our 3 schools and through interaction with the communities in which we function.

Library & Learning Resources Committee (LLRC)
Faculty/Staff Contact: Mary Piorun
The purpose of the Learning and Learning Resources Committee (LLRC) is to provide guidance to the Director of the UMW Library in the areas of: (1) library mission, (2) library policy, (3) library functions, (4) acquisition of additional resources for the library, (5) management and acquisition of learning resources for the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and (6) consideration of archiving functions that may be part of the library mission.

Medical School Admissions Committee (MSAC)
Faculty/Staff Contact: Esi Asare
Each year four representatives from the exiting first year student body (rising second year class) of the T.H. Chan School of Medicine are selected to serve on the Medical School Admissions Committee (MSAC), during their second year. Selected students should have maturity, good evaluative and judgment skills, interpersonal skills and respect for confidential applicant information.
Student representatives: Mallika Purandare, Michelle Narvaez Ramos, Ariba Memon, Ethan Loew, Victor Bacelar, Meti Debela, Dan Nguyen, Alexander Lo

Student Government Alliance
Faculty/Staff Contact: Alan Acosta, PhD
Student Trustee:  Bethany Berry
The purpose of the Three-Schools Committee (TSC) is to encourage and foster increased communication and collaboration among the student bodies of the Nursing School, Medical School, and Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. This committee is charged with implementing a program of academic, social, and charitable activities that will seek to include students from all three schools. In addition, it shall examine and evaluate issues and questions that affect the entire student community on the Worcester Campus and make recommendations to the appropriate academic and administrative bodies.

Student Health Advisory Committee (SHAC)
Faculty/Staff Contact: Phil Fournier, MD
The Student Health Advisory Committee (SHAC) was developed as an open forum for communication between UMASS students and Student Health services, including the student health center, student counseling services and the student health insurance service. There are students on the committee from all three schools who act as student representatives for their schools and bring student health concerns to the attention of SHS. Student feedback is used to improve services for students. There have historically been 1-2 meetings throughout the year. Before each meeting student committee members poll students and prepare to address any issues. Time commitment is the yearly meetings plus roughly ten hours of responding to emails, analyzing problems/deficits, brainstorming solutions, editing emails to students from student health services, providing input for new services, among other goals.

Women's Faculty Committee (WFC)
Faculty/Staff Contact: Holly Brown
The mission of the Women's Faculty Committee (WFC) of UMass Chan/UMMHC is to address the needs of women faculty and promote the status of women in the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the UMass Memorial Health Care clinical system.
Our goals include the following:
• To encourage the hiring, promotion and retention of women faculty
• To provide appropriate programming and special events to enhance career development
• To provide oversight in hiring individuals in administrative and leadership positions in the school and clinical system as well as oversight of the composition of the major committees in each system so as to have fair representation
• To promote Women's Health initiatives in the clinical system and medical school curriculum
• To provide mentoring of medical and graduate students for careers in clinical and academic medicine
• To create a supportive and welcoming environment so women faculty may grow in their roles as clinicians, educators, researchers, scholars, leaders and mentors

Worcester District Medical Society (WDMS)
Faculty/Staff Contact: Martha Wright
The purpose of the Worcester District Medical Society (WDMS) shall be to do all things as may be necessary and appropriate to advance medical knowledge, to develop and maintain highest professional and ethical standards of medical practice and health care, and to promote medical institutions formed on liberal principles for the health, benefit, and welfare of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The student representative serves to increase student participation in the WDMS. Note: The student rep is not appointed through the SBC committee application process. It is appointed by WDMS.

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VISTA Curriculum Committees

Educational Policy Committee
The Educational Policy Committee (EPC) is a primary governing body of the T.H. Chan School of Medicine and has the authority to determine policy for medical school education. The EPC has the responsibility for planning, implementing, supervising, evaluating, and continuously revising a coherent and comprehensive program of general medical education for the training of physicians. To access curriculum committee meeting minutes, policies, course reviews and other EPC materials visit the Educational Policy Committee sharepoint site.

Chair: Erin McMaster, MD
Vice-Chair: Lela Giannaris, PhD
Education Program Specialist: Victoria Cohen, MPP

The standing EPC Subcommittees are charged by the EPC to address issues including but not limited to: Curriculum; Academic Calendar and Daily Schedules; Student Feedback and Needs Assessment; Guidelines, Processes and Relevant Policies; Student Performance Assessment; Institutional Policies and Announcements; and Strategic Planning.

VISTA Curriculum EPC Subcommittees - Launch August 2022

Longitudinal Themes Curriculum Committee (LTCC) is charged with oversight and management of longitudinal curricular elements across all years of the medical school curriculum.

Chair: Kerri Gosselin, MD
Faculty Co-Vice-Chair: Rachel Gerstein, PhD
Student Co-Vice-Chair: Deirbhile Martin (MS4)
Education Program Specialist: Karen Morrissey
Student representatives: Caroline Norton (MS2), Christian Keenan (MS3), Emilee Herringshaw (MS4), Emily Farbman (MS4)

Discovery Phase Curriculum Committee (DCC) (Active AY22) is charged with oversight and management of the curricular elements of the Discovery phase.

Chair: Mary O’Brien, MD 
Faculty Co-Vice-Chair: Jill Zitzewitz, PhD
Student Co-Vice-Chair: Jillian Belgrad (MD/PhD)
Education Program Specialist:
Student representatives:

Health Systems Science Curriculum Committee (HSS CC) (Active AY22)  is charged with oversight and management of the health systems science curricular elements across all years of the medical school curriculum.

Chair: Kimberly Fisher, MD
Faculty Co-Vice-Chair:
Student Co-Vice-Chair: Bennet Vogt (MS4)
Education Program Specialist:
Student representatives: Nathan Yee (MS3), Mitin Nachu (MS3), Keelin Fallon (MS2)

Assessment Curriculum Committee (ACC) (Active AY22)  is charged with development and oversight of the assessment strategies, ensuring consistency within phases, and capturing competency-based progression throughout all years of the medical school curriculum.

Chair: Christine Woolf, PhD
Faculty Co-Vice-Chair: Mary Zanetti, EdD
Co-Vice-Chair: Danielle Leary DO
Resident/Fellow Co-Vice-Chair: TBD
Education Program Specialist: Adam Marowski
Student Representative: Hayden Peirce MD (PGY1)

Clinical Curriculum Committee (CC) Charge (Active in 2024) The clinical phase CC is charged by the EPC with oversight and management of the clinical years rotations, reviewing, and responding to student feedback and needs assessments, developing, approving, and instituting guidelines, processes and relevant policies that pertain to this phase in alignment with institutional policies and procedures.   Additionally, the clinical CC will keep all rotation leaders informed of announcements and policy changes that affect their rotations and student progression. The calendaring and scheduling of the academic calendar in the clinical years will be directed by this group.  Strategic planning will be developed with oversight and engagement from OUME, OEA and aligned with institutional strategic plans.  Rotations that are underperforming will be identified and supported by leadership as per EPC policy. A written and verbal report will be given to the EPC annually representing this committee’s work. 

Chair (faculty): TBD
Co-Vice Chair (faculty): TBD
Co-Vice Chair (student): TBD
Education Program Specialist (OUME): TBD
Student Reps (4, recruited annually)

Core Clinical Rotations Subcommittee (Active in AY24) This group of core rotation leaders will include required “core” clinical rotations including clerkships, acting internships, and emergency clinical problem solver.  With the assessment committee, this group will oversee and standardize the student performance strategy between and across core rotations consistently applying the guidance of the Assessment committee. This committee will ensure that learner assessment strategies in core rotations are complimentary and progressive over time.  This group will ensure that LCME focus areas are consistently addressed between sites, rotations and experiences.  Rotation reviews will occur annually, and this subcommittee will ensure that is done in accordance with EPC guidance. Leadership includes a 3^rd and 4^th year rotation leaders.

Chair (faculty): TBD
Co-Vice Chair (faculty): TBD
Co-Vice Chair (student): TBD
Education Program Specialist (OUME): TBD
Student Reps (4, recruited annually)

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LInC Curriculum Committees

Educational Policy Committee
The Educational Policy Committee (EPC) is a primary governing body of the T.H. Chan School of Medicine and has the authority to determine policy for medical school education. The EPC has the responsibility for planning, implementing, supervising, evaluating, and continuously revising a coherent and comprehensive program of general medical education for the training of physicians. To access curriculum committee meeting minutes, policies, course reviews and other EPC materials visit the Educational Policy Committee sharepoint site.

*UMass Chan - Baystate

PURCH Oversight Committee
Faculty/Staff Contact: Raquel Belforti, DO, MS
The PURCH Oversight Committee, composed of PURCH leaders in Admissions, Preclinical Curriculum, Clinical Curriculum, Learning Community, Health Equity, and Operations, oversees the ongoing vision and innovation across the four years of PURCH. Oversight Committee Student Reps are held and mentored as leaders within the PURCH student community to both communicate student input to leadership and communicate leadership discussion back to students. Up to 2 students from the MS4 class are invited to join Oversight weekly meetings via Zoom, though students may choose to alternate attendance, which is up to the student representatives.  The role commitment is for one academic year.

PURCH Early Clinical Learning Curriculum Committee (PCC)
Faculty/Staff Contact: Nadia Villarroel, MD
The PURCH Doctoring and Clinical Skills Curriculum Committee (PCC) oversees the implementation of the PURCH preclinical curriculum at UMass Chan Medical School – Baystate.  The PCC is composed of PURCH leaders in Preclinical Curriculum, Learning Community, Health Equity, Operations and UMass Chan curriculum leadership. Up to 3 students will be selected to represent their class for the duration of FOM1 and will have the option of continuing during FOM2.  Student representatives will be responsible for collecting feedback from PURCH classmates regarding the PURCH preclinical curriculum, namely DCS, and report that feedback at monthly PCC meetings.  Students may be engaged in curriculum development opportunities, such as the Car-riculum, or pre-readings for DCS.  Students will also be provided time during DCS days to respond to student feedback.

Undergraduate Medical Education Committee (UMEC) at Baystate Health
Faculty/Staff Contact: Raquel Belforti DO, MS
The UMass Chan Baystate Undergraduate Medical Education Committee (UMEC) is comprised of third year clerkship directors, leaders from partnering advanced practitioner programs and pharmacy training programs. This monthly meeting is a time for UME leadership to identify and discuss concerns and best practices for our student learners. PURCH MS3 and MS4 students have the opportunity to join this committee as student leaders. Students roles are to share feedback from their peers and to report updates from the committee back to their peers. This committee allows students to enhance their leadership skills in partnering with UME leadership at UMass Chan Baystate and engaging their peers.  Up to 3 students will be selected by their peers to represent them at UMEC and this is decided at the beginning of the CCE year.

PURCH Give Back Program Proposal Review Committee (PRC)
Faculty/Staff Contact: Eric Churchill, MD MPH
In partnership with Baystate Health’s Office of Government and Community Relations (OGCR), the PURCH Give Back Program allows students the opportunity to financially support eligible community-based organizations, programs, or projects, using specific earmarked Baystate Health community benefits funding. Through this experience, students across all four years of the PURCH program will engage with specific community organizations and may identify an urgent, current, or emerging need.  PURCH students may then develop a proposal that addresses a specific organizational or programmatic need and addressing the social determinants of health. Students will have access to grant writing resources to assist in the development of funding proposals. Proposals will be submitted by students on behalf of the beneficiary organization. If determined by the Proposal Review Committee (PRC) to fund the proposal, after this time the beneficiary organization will be notified of the award by the student(s) whom submitted the proposal. 

Students on the PRC will evaluate proposals to donate Baystate Health community benefits funding and invest volunteer hours to health or social programs at PURCH teaching sites or other eligible community partners. A call for applications will go out each spring and up to 2 students from each class may be chosen.

Interprofessional Student Volunteer Corps (ISVC) Student Leader
Faculty/Staff Contact: Sarah McAdoo MD, MPH
The Interprofessional Student Volunteer Corps (ISVC) is a student-initiated and student-led group, which aims to address the needs of community members in Baystate Health service areas, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Student-led teams will respond to the needs, emergencies, and crises which arise in Pioneer Valley communities, particularly addressing issues that may exacerbate health disparities in underserved populations. Faculty will support students in developing longitudinal relationships with community partners by preparing students to engage in the community effectively and responsibly.

Student leaders will attend monthly ISVC leadership meetings to identify service-learning opportunities and recruit students to contribute to community-engaged work.  Up to 2 students from each class may be eligible to serve as student leaders for their class. Applicants are considered on a rolling basis and are open to all students at UMass Chan.

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updated APR 26 2023 | cjb