Health Care Reform Explained with Dr. Kessel

Listen to the discussion

View the PowerPoint

On Tuesday, April 12th, Dr. Woodie Kessel, former assistant to the U.S. Surgeon General, spoke with Maryland pre-meds about the groundbreaking health care reform bill. Dr. Kessel did a fantastic job, breaking down the complex legislation, and explaining the numerous benefits for individuals, small businesses, and the government. Kessel's energy about the fundamental need for health care reform was clear. From his life as a community pediatrician, to his efforts in national policy, Kessel's career has truly been multifaceted. During his long career with the Public Health Service, from which he retired at the rank of Rear Admiral, Dr. Kessel, a pediatrician, spearheaded numerous projects aimed at improving child, family and community health, reducing infant mortality, counseling victims of domestic violence, and providing better health insurance coverage for children.

Please enjoy the audio podcast from the evening, as well as the PowerPoint presentation-courtesy of Dr. Kessel!

Letter Writing with "Health Care for All"

On Tuesday, March 1st, "Health Care for All" representative, Suzanne Schlattman, spoke with interested UMD AMSA students. After talking about the importance of "THe Lorraine Sheean Health & Community Services Act of 2011." The act increases the alcohol tax by a "dime per drink" in the state of Maryland. The hope is the $215.6 million in increased revenue will be designated to "close the doughnut hole" that many children and low income individuals  find themselves in with respect to healthcare. 

After learning about the legislation, Schlattman hosted a "letter writing" session and discussed tips for writing local representatives when voicing an opinion of a bill. We encourage everyone to learn more about the monumental legislation, and to voice their own opinions to local representatives. 

  

Alcohol Tax Hearing

Dear AMSA,

Some of your members will be driving to Annapolis to attend a hearing involving increasing the State tax rates on alcoholic beverages sold in Maryland.  

The tax revenue will be used for additional funding for specified health services (see below).

Where: State Legislature, Annapolis, Maryland, House Committee on Ways and Means

When: Thursday, March 3rd.  Members would meet in front of Stamp at 11:30AM.  We would leave campus no later than 11:45AM, as the hearing begins at 1:00PM.

If you are interested in going please e-mail me and include your NAME, PHONE NUMBER and whether or not you would be willing to DRIVE.

Thanks,

Tom

Tax Increase Entails:
Increasing the State tax rates for alcoholic beverages sold in Maryland from $1.50 to $10.03 per gallon for distilled spirits, from 40 cents to $2.96 per gallon for wine, and from 9 cents to $1.16 per gallon for beer.

Specified Health Services Entail:

The Comptroller must distribute a portion of the alcoholic beverage tax revenue to certain special funds to be used only for certain purposes; establishing the Developmental Disability Support Fund as a special fund to be used to support certain services for individuals with developmental disabilities; establishing the Addiction Treatment, Prevention, and Recovery Support Fund as a special fund to be used to support certain programs for the treatment and prevention of drug and alcohol addictions; establishing the Mental Health Care Fund as a special fund to be used to support certain programs for the treatment and prevention of mental illness; establishing the State Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation Fund as a special fund to be used to support certain programs relating to tobacco use prevention and cessation; establishing the Maryland Medicaid Trust Fund as a special fund to be used to provide certain health care services to certain individuals; establishing the Health Care Personnel Training Fund as a special fund to be used to provide grants to certain training consortiums.

Discussion with Dr. Miller

Listen to the discussion

On Tuesday, February 15th, Dr. Suzie Miller spoke with Maryland pre-meds about different strategies for planning the medical school admissions process. Dr. Miller presented her short-list of "7 Deadly Sins when Applying to Medical School." From "the celebrity recommendation" to bloating your "AMCAS Work/Activities," Miller covered several common "traps" that students frequently are unaware of. Enjoy listening to our audio podcast!

 

Dr. Suzie Miller is a faculty member at the GWU medical center and an emergency physician. For the past decade, she has helped pre-meds get into medical school. While at Harvard Medical School, she began medical school admissions consulting as a Pre-Medical Tutor and then Co-Chair of the Eliot House Pre-Medical Committee. After receiving her MD, Dr. Miller ventured to California to train at Stanford in Emergency Medicine and eventually became a Fellow  of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

Notes from Dr. Miller: 

• "Scribe Program" at Inova Fairfax: e-mail Jess McCreary for details. I sadly have no say in who is hired as a scribe. I have been told we are still hiring. 

• When to read "the book." The Medical School Admissions Guide is written as a week-by-week guide that starts in the January before you apply (i.e., you will turn in the AMCAS that June). However, it is most advantageous to read the book straight through as soon as possible to gain a sense of what is expected during the admissions process and then turn back to the guide weekly while applying. Reading this as early as freshman year will provide a huge advantage. 

How to buy The Medical School Admissions Guide:

MDadmit.com

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

• How to reach me:

www.MDadmit.com

info@MDadmit.com

415.939.5251