Nova Southeastern University Medical Student Becomes National President of American Medical Student Association

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MARCH 25, 2014

Sterling, VA—Britani Kessler, fourth year medical student at Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine, will begin serving her term as National President of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) on May 1, 2014. Kessler will work full-time at AMSA’s national office, Sterling, Virginia, where she will chair the Board of Trustees, represent more than 40,000 physicians-in-training, maintain alliances with other organizations and visit AMSA chapters across the country. She previously held the position of President-Elect.

“AMSA is an exceptional organization that inspires a community of future physicians through education and advocacy,” says Kessler. “I’m honored and excited to serve as national president and plan on focusing on medical student debt and AMSA’s Just Medicine campaign. I look forward to working with AMSA members across the country and helping them to realize their power as members of the medical community. The face of medicine is ever-changing and our members need to stay informed and active. As the future of medicine, we know that changes must be made and I believe our exceptional programming and wonderful leaders will accomplish so much over the coming year.”

At the recent AMSA Annual Convention, Deborah Vozzella Hall, third year medical student at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, was elected President-Elect. She will serve for one year before becoming National President on May 1, 2015. Hall is currently AMSA’s Vice President for Internal Affairs and has previously served as National Secretary and co-director for AMSA’s Health Care for All Campaign.

Newly elected members of the 2014-2015 AMSA Board of Trustees:

• President: Britani Kessler, Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine
• President-Elect: Deborah Vozzella Hall, University of Connecticut School of Medicine
• Vice President for Internal Affairs: Kelly Thibert, Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine
• Vice President for Membership: Tripp Hines, ETSU Quillen College of Medicine
• Vice President of Program Development: Perry Tsai, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Vice President of Leadership Development: Sahar Barfchin, University of Connecticut School of Medicine
• Secretary: Joshua Weinstock, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
• Graduate Trustee: Vacant
• International Trustee: Janell Johnson, Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara
• Premedical Trustee: Isaiah Cochran, Waynesburg University
• Immediate Past President: Nida Degesys, MD
• The New Physician Student Editor: Luke Messac, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
• Ex-officio member: Joshua Caulfield, IOM, AMSA Executive Director

2014-2015 AMSA Fellowship Position:

• Education & Research Fellow: Rachel Glassford, graduate student at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University