2026 - 27

National Committee Applications

APPLICATIONS OPEN: Submit Here!

Annually, applications for the APAMSA National Committees open approximately within one month following the National Board Elections. These committees provide an excellent opportunity for current medical students, pre-health students, and individuals in gap years to become involved in APAMSA’s national leadership and contribute to the organization’s initiatives in a more flexible capacity.

Active APAMSA members who meet eligibility requirements may apply to serve on any of the National Committees. Applicants are selected by members of the National Board, typically the Director who oversees the respective committee.

Appointed National Committee members serve for approximately a one-year term, aligned with the tenure of the National Board under which they will be serving.

Application Details

To apply for a National Committee, one must carefully review the descriptions of the committees that they are interested in and prepare a candidate statement of about 200-250 words. The candidate statement must consist of why you are interested in working with National APAMSA, your interest in working with the specific committee(s) that you are applying for, and any specific ideas or events you have for the committee.

  • Volunteer approximately 1–2 hours per month from March 2026 through March 2027.

  • Attend monthly committee meetings led by the respective Committee Director.

  • Complete assigned tasks in a timely manner and meet established deadlines.

  • Maintain timely communication on Discord with fellow National Committee and National Board members.

  • Applications Open March 16, 2026 at 12:00AM PT
  • Applications Close: Sunday, April 4, 2026 at 11:59 PT
  • Application Review: Sunday, April 5 to April 9, 2026
  • Application Results Announcement: Friday, April 10 at 8 AM PT
  • Advocacy Branch: Advocacy Committee
  • External Affairs Branch: Sponsorship Committee
  • Communications Branch: Communications & Podcast Committees
  • Diversity Branch: Southeast Asian, South Asian, Native Hawaiian & Pacific Islander, LGBTQIA+, and Women in Medicine Committees
  • Strategy Branch: Pre-Health Committee

Note: Within the External Affairs and Membership Branches, the National Conference and Regional Conference Committees are appointed separately from the primary National Committee application process. These committees typically consist of local chapter APAMSA members from the institution or region where the conference is being hosted.

Join APAMSA

Note: In order to qualify as a candidate for the APAMSA National Committees, you must be an official APAMSA member. If you are not yet a member, you can join APAMSA membership at any time of the year. Learn more →

FAQ

Joining a National Committee is a great way to become involved in APAMSA’s national leadership while gaining firsthand experience with how the organization operates. National Board positions are highly competitive, often with multiple applicants competing for a single role. In contrast, National Committees have multiple seats available, making them a more accessible opportunity for members to contribute and get involved.

Serving on a National Committee also allows members to familiarize themselves with the inner workings of National APAMSA, collaborate with directors and other national leaders, and develop leadership experience within the organization. Historically, candidates who have previously served on a National Committee often bring valuable experience that can strengthen a future National Board candidacy, though it is not a requirement to run.

Additionally, National Committees provide an excellent avenue for individuals who want to meaningfully contribute to APAMSA’s mission while maintaining a more manageable commitment compared to the broader responsibilities expected of National Board directors.

In the past, individuals from other health-related schools have made significant contributions to APAMSA, and we are happy to see this trend continue.

Yes, you may apply for as many committees as you like.

No, members may only serve on one National Committee at a time. This policy is intended to ensure that individuals are able to fully dedicate their time, energy, and attention to the responsibilities of a single committee. In the past, we have found that serving on multiple committees can spread members too thin, which may impact engagement, communication, and the timely completion of committee initiatives. By focusing on one committee, members are better positioned to contribute meaningfully and support the overall success of the organization.

Committee members are selected by the Director overseeing the respective committee, with input from the Branch Vice President under which the committee falls. For example, if you apply to the Podcast Committee, the current Podcast Director will review all applications and select members from the applicant pool. If needed, the Communications Vice President may also provide input to help evaluate and narrow down applicants.

For the 2026–2027 term, the majority of committees will have three members. In the past, we have found that larger committees often result in insufficient opportunities for all members to meaningfully contribute to the committee’s initiatives. Keeping committees smaller helps ensure that each member remains actively engaged and plays a clear role in advancing the committee’s goals and the broader mission of the organization.

You can find more information about each committee directly within the application, where hyperlinks are provided to individual committee descriptions prepared by the Director overseeing that committee.

For your convenience, all committee descriptions are also compiled in the following folder:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1UoHTgAyxPv8XT1UZ3fuGlZ_FBzW_gB1U?usp=sharing.

Feel free to contact elections@apamsa.org with any additional questions.