New student organization: Student Science Association

-- Naomi Koenig, President SSA

There is a new student organization at Metropolitan State University. The Student Science Association (SSA) is a resource for students thinking of, or actively pursuing, careers in science or a branch of medicine. Our members include pre-medicine, pre-dental and pre-pharmacy students, research scientists and other related professions.

Membership in this organization yields great opportunities for networking and learning about the different careers available in the science profession. We have monthly meetings during Fall and Spring semesters that usually take place on the second or third Monday of the month. Meetings are at 4:30 p.m. in Founder’s Hall L122, St. Paul Campus.

We frequently have guest speakers that come from very diverse backgrounds, giving students insight into different fields that are available. Our March meeting was focused on medical school and aspects of application. We had a speaker from the University of Minnesota Medical School distribute helpful tips on interviewing, prerequisites and requirements.

We have a variety of seminars in the works for next Fall. There is a Science Seminar that will take place in September, which will have three separate tracks for students to attend. There will be general information sessions with guest speakers from various professions. One of the specialized tracks is for promoting Women In Science, with many local sponsors and keynote speakers.

The Women In Science portion of the seminar will include women from various science fields in leadership positions. Some prospective speakers may include an archeologist that has spent years in the field in Asia, Africa and South America; an emergency room physician who has worked in rural medicine as well as a Level I Trauma center; a biochemical engineer that works on developing cutting edge technology; and several others that have shown dedication to promoting women in science fields.

This is a great opportunity for Metropolitan State students to engage in their community and network with other motivated students. There are volunteer opportunities as well as research and internships available to SSA members exclusively.

Feel free to stop by and check out one of our last meetings of this academic year. Our April 2 meeting will offer a guest speaker on pharmacy school and what it is like to work in the pharmaceutical field. Our last meeting of the academic year will be held April 16 and offer a College of Arts and Science advisor speaking about science majors and related fields of study. This will be a broad advising session for all Metropolitan State students interested in pursuing further careers in science and medicine.

As always, everyone is welcome at every meeting no matter what your declared major may be. There is always food provided, and we provide a great atmosphere to find your place in the Metropolitan State science community. On behalf of all SSA officers and members, we look forward to seeing you at our next meeting!