GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION

All students enrolled in degree programs, i.e. matriculated, at GSBS are considered members in the Graduate Student Association. The group's objectives are to cultivate interest in the biomedical sciences and to encourage mutual assistance, social involvement, and other activities vital to a wholesome environment for graduate studies.

The Graduate Student Association (GSA) is made up of Masters and Doctoral students and provides them with a forum to discuss issues relating to student affairs and graduate student education. The GSA proper (mostly doctoral students) organizes trips to local scientific meetings, invites guest lecturers, and provides new doctoral students with mentors to help them adjust to life as a graduate student. In addition, the GSA sponsors social events including student-faculty softball games, bowling nights, and trips to local sporting events to unite the doctoral student community.

The GSA also has 2 affiliate groups, which are comprised of Masters students who typically have different career goals than the research-minded Doctoral students. These groups are the Prospective Physicians Association (PPA) and the Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students (MAPS).
Please see below.

GSA Stratford Bylaws

GSA Officers:

Prospective Physician Association (PPA)

An Affiliation of the Graduate Student Association (GSA) of Stratford

The Purpose of PPA:

To create an effective communication link between the students of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and the multiple schools within the University Medicine and Dentistry New Jersey community. This would allow those students of GSBS, who want to pursue a higher medical education, a chance to engage in a forum that focuses on medical careers. This organization would concentrate on inviting guest lecturers, collaborating local events with surrounding medical schools, organize physician shadowing programs and providing new students with a mentorship program to help them transition from a graduate student to a potential medical student. Along with the promotion of higher integration within the GSBS, this organization also functions to increase socialization within the UMDNJ family.

For information about the current PPA Events, please contact any one of the officers listed below OR go the following Facebook page: UMDNJ-BMS Stratford group

Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students (MAPS)

An Affiliation of the Graduate Student Association (GSA) of Stratford

Purpose of MAPS & Mission Statement:

The Minority Association of Pre-Medical Students is a national organization that exists as individual self-governing bodies of students organized into chapters that overall seek to support the endeavors of ambitious pre-medical students under the guidance of regional and national bylaws.

The mission of M.A.P.S. at UMDNJ-SOM/GSBS is to foster a relationship between pre-med students and medical/professional students and provide an avenue for guidance, resources and support to those who are interested in medicine and health care related fields with a particular emphasis in serving the medically underserved and minority populations.

Benefits of membership include but are not limited to the following:
Information about MCAT prep, panel discussions w/ medical students, networking events w/ both physicians and esteemed faculty, community service, interview and application tips etc,. M.AP.S .can be viewed much like a pre-professional association at a typical undergraduate institution. However, through our direct affiliation with the Student National Medical Association at UMDNJ-SOM, and our existence as a graduate school organization this chapter is very unique.

MAPS Constitution
MAPS Bylaws