Junior Biology major Precious Ezeamama was recently recognized as the Student National Medical Association (SNMA)/Minority Association of Pre-health Students (MAPS) Region IV Member of the Year at the 2013 Annual Medical Education Conference (AMEC) in Louisville, Kentucky.
Established in 1964 by medical students from Howard University and Meharry medical schools as the oversight organization of MAPS, SNMA is the oldest and largest student-run organization focused on the needs and concerns of medical students from under-represented groups with membership of more than 6,000 medical students, pre-medical students, residents and physicians. AMEC attracts more than 1,100 attendees each year and is consistently the largest gathering of under-represented minority pre-medical and medical students as well as medical professionals in the U.S.
Precious was recognized as SNMA MAPS member of the year because of her steadfast commitment to the MAPS mission. In fall 2012, Precious established a standing committee within MAPS, the Health Disparity Research Committee, to look into grant opportunities to help narrow the healthcare gap in under-served communities.
As event/project co-coordinator for Barry’s MAPS organization, Precious organized numerous beneficial events this year for students including: Spring Into Your Health – the first-ever student health fair held on campus. She also coordinated March Madness, a month-long series of medical/dental school application workshops to empower students as they embark on the daunting tasks of preparing for the MCAT. Precious has also been instrumental in making the upcoming Health Disparities panel discussion in observance of Minority Health Month in April a reality, personally recruiting a number of the panelists.
MAPS is a multicultural student organization with members from undergraduate (biology, chemistry, nursing) and graduate (BMS) programs at Barry. For more information about this organization, e-mail: BarryMAPS@gmail.com and/or visit: BarryMAPS.blogspot.com.