The Student National Medical Association was established in 1961 by Howard University and Meharry Medical School students, and is the nation’s oldest and largest organization focused on the needs and concerns of medical students of color. The SNMA advocates for improved health care services and education to meet the needs of minorities and underserved populations. Representing over 5,000 medical and pre-medical students of color, the SNMA reflects the organization’s appeal to students and professionals from many cultures. SNMA members include African Americans, Africans, West Indians, Latinos, Asians, and Caucasians who together bring a global perspective to their education and health care issues addressed within the organization.

Since 2001, the SNMA’s international health program, “HIV/AIDS Education and Prevention Program: Save A Million Lives”, has conducted a medical mission trip to Ghana to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic in this region. The minority medical school students travel to Ghana for two weeks in the summer to conduct the three main components of their mission: clinical services, health education, and project evaluation. Since 2003, prior to their departure, some of the mission team participants attend a one-day training session at the National Library of Medicine on NLM’s health information databases. One year, the trained SNMA students conducted training sessions for Ghanaian medical school students. They work closely with Ghanaian villagers and with local nursing staff to survey current knowledge and practices related to HIV/AIDS information, transmission, and prevention.

The Student National Medical Association is on the web at http://www.snma.org/.