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Special Interest Organizations

Action Against Inequalities in Medicine

Our mission is to create a platform where we can honestly discuss race, racism and their influence on the lives of everyone in our greater community. We included “Action” in the name of our group intentionally. Our hope is to foster continuity, accountability, and transparency in our efforts to make positive, lasting change at UT Southwestern. We believe students’ voices should be heard, recognized and used to create a positive culture at our institution for everyone.

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Armed Forces Landing Zone (AFLZ)

"The Armed Forces Landing Zone student organization of UT Southwestern aims to bridge the gap between military and civilian medical communities through education, service, and outreach. The organization strives to showcase the unique opportunities, skill sets, and contributions military medicine has to offer in addition to providing comprehensive support to service members, veterans, and their families. We hope to give back to those who have served our country through various service projects, while bringing members of UTSW and the military together to foster a community of support, respect, and service."

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Artificial Intelligence Interest Group

The AI Interest Group at UTSW is dedicated to exploring the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in clinical medicine. Our mission is to foster a collaborative and inclusive environment where students and professionals can engage in meaningful discussions about the ideas, ethics, limitations, and future possibilities of AI in healthcare. Through educational events, guest speaker engagements, and critical debates, we aim to inspire innovation, promote ethical considerations, and prepare future clinicians to effectively integrate AI technologies into their practice or improved patient outcomes.

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Asian Student Association in Health Professions (ASAHP)

The Asian Student Association aims to provide an environment for cultural enrichment for students of Asian heritage and our allies. Our goal is to promote cultural awareness and emphasize the importance of representation of Asian students in health professions.

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Biomedical Innovation Society (BI)

The Biomedical Innovation Society (BIS) is open to all medical students, faculty, and staff interested in developing technologic solutions to healthcare challenges. The mission of the BIS is to support the activities of the Biomedical Innovations elective program, while providing opportunities for participation to individuals unable to enroll in the course. Members will be empowered with the skills and mindset required to accurately assess clinical needs and develop feasible solutions in a team-based environment.

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Clinical Psychology Diversity Club

Founded in spring 2008, this group believes that diversity encompasses all of the features that make individual clients unique, including, but not limited to, race, gender, ethnicity, disability, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, gender identity, and country of origin/regional location. We meet monthly to discuss diversity as it relates to the practice of clinical psychology. Discussions are based on relevant literature, clinical experience, and guest speakers from various organizations in the community. In addition, the Club aims to provide volunteer opportunities for underserved and underrepresented populations in the community and to compile resources for client referrals.

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Consulting Club

The club's mission is to improve business acumen of UT Southwestern trainees and facilitate their transition into business-related careers, including management consulting and life sciences consulting, via year-round education and relationship-building events engaging consulting firms, local start-ups, and peers.

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Dallas Allied Health Scholar Connection

Founded in spring 2023, the Dallas Allied Health Scholar Connection aims to guide and mentor pre-allied health students in the process of graduate school application preparation. Members use their personal experiences to encourage and prepare aspiring allied health professionals in this intimidating time. Our services include one-on-one mentoring, application review, and admission essay brainstorming.

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Disability Interest Group

Founded in spring 2022, the mission of this group is to advance curricular efforts on disability at UT Southwestern, support and create a welcome environment for students with disabilities, educate others about individuals with disabilities, and create community amongst people who care about disability. This group will work to create open communication and empowerment for students with disabilities, as well as help educate our current students on people with disabilities.

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Financial Literacy Organization

Founded in spring 2019, the Financial Literacy Organization's purpose is to bring together a community interested in personal finance and to promote financial literacy across campus. We also strive to educate health professionals in developing strong personal finance skills and to engage students in smart financial decision making while encouraging diverse conversations surrounding finance.

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Finding Meaning in Medicine

Finding Meaning in Medicine is a conversation that invites student physicians to speak from the heart about personal experiences in their everyday lives that provide access to the deeper meaning of the practice of medicine. It provides a structured and safe space for 2nd-4th year clerkship students to reflect on experiences encountered on the clinical wards, build resilience, and connect with others to find a deeper meaning in medicine.

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First Generation College Students (FGCS)

Founded in fall 2021, FGCSS is a student organization for first generation college students. Our mission is to improve the experience of “first generation” medical professionals in training through community, mentorship, empowerment, and advocacy.

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First Gen M.D.

Founded in spring 2023, Our mission is to connect first generation medical students (who may or may not be first generation college students) through social events, community outreach, and mentorship. We hope to create a safe atmosphere for students to discuss and reflect on their shared experiences, as well as serve as mentors for current college students who will also be the first in their family to attend medical school.

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Global BrainHealth and SpineCare Initiative (GBSI)

The organization aims to learn how brain health applies to patients, healthcare providers, and the general public- including new research and medical innovations in brain health. We are powered by the Center for BrainHealth in Dallas, TX- a nonprofit research institute hosting world-renowned researchers and physicians exploring the science of brain health.

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Global Health Interest Group (GHIG)

GHIG aims to inspire the UTSW medical community to pursue global health with collaboration, mindfulness, and advocacy. We hope to educate students and faculty alike about global health issues and to promote a global attitude centered around service and research.

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Global Surgery Student Alliance

Founded in 2018, we are a dedicated group of students united by a passion for developing and mentoring the next generation of surgeons, anesthesiologists, and obstetricians. The Global Surgery Student Alliance (GSSA) aims to promote exposure to global surgery, connecting students with valuable resources and opportunities. We advocate for the urgent needs within the global surgery field, advance education and research, and prepare future physicians to tackle the challenges of delivering sustainable care in low-resource settings.

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High-Value Care Student Interest Group

Founded in spring 2024, The High-Value Care Student Interest Group aims to help teach and promote the principles of high-value care (the best possible health outcomes at the lowest possible costs) and arm students with the knowledge, skills, and tools necessary to have a transformative impact on their future careers at both an individual and institutional level. Club activities will include hearing from guest speakers that are leading the field and literature/subject reviews and presentations that will help familiarize students with the current landscape of healthcare economics, policy, and practice.

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Informatics Interest Group (IIG)

The Informatics Interest Group was established in fall 2020. Technology is becoming increasingly more ingrained in modern day medicine – through electronic health records systems, digital health apps, personalized genomics, etc. As the next generation of physicians, we need to be aware of these technologies, appreciate the flow of data through their systems, and most importantly, understand the benefits as well as the limitations of such systems in how we deliver care The Informatics Interest Group aims to bring awareness to the field of clinical informatics and empower the next generation of physician innovators. We host talks, provide networking opportunities, compile a calendar for all informatics-related events on campus, as well as facilitate participation to attend national conferences.

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Integrative and Complementary Medicine Interest Group

Founded in fall 2021. An ever-growing portion of the American population makes use of natural products, mind-body techniques, non-allopathic health practitioners and other forms of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to support their own health and treat disease or illness. Sometimes these are complements to traditional care provided under physicians, but sometimes these modalities are used instead of Western medical practice due to concerns for side effects, invasiveness, or a desire to choose more natural, more affordable, or more culturally acceptable approaches. Meanwhile, an ever-growing body of medical literature on CAM approaches is now available, studying the safety and efficacy of these modalities, as well as how they can be integrated into allopathic medical practice.

The aim of this student organization is to guide medical students through a broad tour of CAM modalities that is both cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary, to ensure a basic awareness of these approaches that can be valuable to clinical practice. Generating a safe space for patients to reveal their use of these modalities leads to shared decision-making and collaborative treatment plans that combine physician knowledge of the medical evidence with the patient's preferences for methods that reflect their values. Students will thus gain exposure to the field of integrative medicine, which weaves CAM therapies into traditional Western practice and is now a board-recognized specialty.

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Interventional Cardiology and Electrophysiology Student Interest Group

Founded in spring 2021, the Interventional Cardiology and Electrophysiology Student Interest Group aims to provide an early look into two advanced cardiology fellowships. The organization allows for interaction with the field through potential research projects, shadowing, and hands-on simulated activities. It also provides contact with faculty, staff, and residents interested in the field. The organization has a unique mentorship program aimed at connecting students and those with a foothold in the specialties throughout the academic year.

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Med-Peds Student Interest Group

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Medical Humanities Interest Group/Scope

The Medical Humanities Interest Group (MHIG) was founded in 2000 to promote student enjoyment of the humanities and to stimulate meaningful exploration of the humanities' contribution to medicine. The humanities encompass a broad variety of disciplines, including philosophy, literature, the visual and performing arts, ethics, history, and religion. MHIG is by no means just for experts: it is for all students who, in addition to their interest in becoming competent physicians, enjoy discussing the broader questions of the human condition.

MHIG also manages the yearly publication of Scope, UT Southwestern's Arts and Humanities Journal. Scope is an online literary magazine featuring writing and art created by the students, faculty, and staff of UT Southwestern. We hope the magazine serves as a vehicle for the sharing and communication of experiences in medicine, from patient care to medical research, through an artistic lens. We seek quality works and wish to encourage creativity and an atmosphere of openness.

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Medical Science Liaison Peeps (MSL)

The mission of MSL peeps is to support every UTSW member to obtain an MSL position by educating each member about what the MSL job entails, improving resume/LinkedIn/social media platforms, and providing each member with a platform to speak. The goal of this MSL Peeps is to have a small community of students/post-docs that are interested in MSL to meet and discuss MSL topics and what the job entails with a synergetic, encouraging, and collaborative environment to improve on necessary skills needed for MSL, such as networking, resume building, and presenting clinical papers without the high stakes of trying to impress KOLs, bosses, etc. The topics we will discuss will be MSL related, but the skills gained (networking, presenting, science communications) from this group can be applied to other careers.

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Medical Students for Choice (MSFC)

Medical Students for Choice is dedicated to ensuring that people receive the full range of reproductive health care choices, including abortion. MSFC recognizes that one of the greatest obstacles to safe and legal abortion is the absence of trained providers, and as such we work to educate and increase access to training opportunities for the next generation of abortion providers. We believe students’ voices should be heard, recognized and used to create a positive culture at our institution for everyone.

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Mental Health and Wellness Committee

Founded in summer 2018 the Mental Health and Wellness Committee is dedicated to promoting wellness, destigmatizing mental health, and increasing the accessibility of the Student Wellness and Counseling Office. This organization is comprised of two subcommittees that each work on different aspects of mental health and wellness.

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Mindfulness Student Association (MSA)

Founded in fall 2019, to provide opportunities for graduate students to learn about mindfulness, practice mindfulness together, and share information about the benefits of mindfulness with the larger school community.

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Neonatology Student Interest Group

Neonatology Student Interest Group (NSIG) strives to fulfill student interest in neonatology through enriching educational experiences, networking opportunities, and volunteer programs. Founded in summer 2015, the goal of our established volunteer program Helping Augment Neonatal Development (HANDs) is to offer our time and attention to babies in the Parkland NICU so that they can receive human touch and interaction to foster their growth and development.

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Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (oSTEM)

oSTEM at UTSW seeks to promote and serve the LGBTQ+ graduate students and postdoctoral scholars of UT Southwestern by providing a welcoming and safe environment. oSTEM enhances awareness of the issues and situations the LGBTQ+ UTSW community encounters in the workplace. Furthermore, we serve the broader Dallas community as representatives of UTSW and its mission by participating in scientific outreach events and highlighting research performed at UTSW. We also participate in community outreach activities to promote the UTSW support of the LGBTQ+ community. We welcome all UTSW students and trainees to participate in our events.

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Palliative Care Interest Group

Founded in spring 2011, the Palliative Care Interest Group is a student-run organization that aims to increase awareness of the issues related to end-of-life care and the practice of palliative medicine. Our mission is to provide direct experience, exposure, and participation in this field as a medical student, as well as to provide academic exposure through faculty contact.

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Pediatric Surgery Interest Group

Founded in summer 2023, our mission is to provide medical students with opportunities to learn about and explore the field of pediatric surgery and surgical specialties that treat pediatric patients. Through educational events, faculty and expert panels, hands-on experiences, and mentorship from pediatric surgeons, we aim to inspire and support future pediatric surgeons. We strive to create a welcoming and inclusive community that fosters collaboration, networking, and personal growth.

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Phi Delta Epsilon Medical Fraternity

Founded in fall 2023, Phi Delta Epsilon Medical Fraternity creates physicians of integrity with a lifelong commitment to our guiding principles: Philanthropy, Deity, Education and Equity.

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Preventative and Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group (PLMIG)

Founded in spring 2018 the Preventive Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group is a registered Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group under the American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM). Our mission is two-fold: to educate medical students about the principles and practices of lifestyle medicine, and to provide medical students with the knowledge, resources, and experiences required to empower their future patients to incorporate lifestyle health into their daily lives.

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PRIDE

PRIDE at UT Southwestern is an activist and social organization committed to empowering sexual and gender minority medical students and allies, increasing the number of physicians trained in LGBTQ-inclusive health care, and addressing the unique needs of LGBTQ+ communities through research, advocacy, and service.

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Rare Disease Student Interest Group

Founded in fall 2022, RDSIG aims to promote the awareness of rare diseases throughout our community. We aim to provide lecture, volunteer, and research opportunities in cooperation with the Rare Disease Center of Excellence at UT Southwestern.

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RescueRX: Healthcare Students Against Human Trafficking

Founded in 2023, RescueRx is a student organization at UT Southwestern dedicated to addressing the pressing issue of human trafficking. Composed of passionate students, the organization strives to create widespread awareness about the realities of human trafficking and its devastating impact on individuals and communities. Through engement campaigns, educational initiatives, and collaborative partnerships, RescueRx actively promotes a culture of empathy, compassion, and action to combat this grave human rights violation. By empowering students and the broader campus community, RescueRx aims to make a tangible difference in the fight against human trafficking and contribute to the protection and support of survivors.

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Society of First Generation Students – SHP

Founded in summer 2021, the School of Health Professions Society of First Generation Students will establish a support community, provide special interest resources, and develop a safe space for discussion of experiences common to first generation students in graduate-level health professions programs.

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Southwestern Student Connection (SSC)

Southwestern Student Connection aims to advise and mentor pre-medical students navigating the complexities of applying to medical school and exploring their medical aspirations by using our personal experience with this daunting process. Our programs include the Southwestern Student Advising program: an advising platform for one-on-one advising sessions, a long-term mentor-mentee matching program, and online medical student panels. We are future doctors helping future doctors: we've been in your shoes, so let us help you! southwesternstudentconnectionofficers@utsouthwestern.edu

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Southwestern Writes

Founded in spring 2023, Southwestern Writes aims to foster a productive, accountable, and collaborative environment for writers of all backgrounds and interests. Our organization welcomes all students, residents, faculty, and staff.

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Spaced Repetition Squad

Founded in fall 2024, our group empowers incoming and current students to maximize the effectiveness of Anki’s spaced repletion software for coursework and licensing exams. We host “How to set up Anki” sessions at the beginning of each semester for new or new to Anki students and Q&A sessions during the semester for anyone with questions about their Anki settings, in-house decks, or third-party resources. We also aim to meet UTSW-specific Anki needs by indexing third-party Anki content and/or curating in-house Anki materials tailored to the UTSW curriculum (e.g. maintaining UTSW lecture-specific tags for the Anking Step Preparation Deck).

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Spanish Interpreter Apprenticeship Program (SIAP)

Throughout hospitals and clinics in the United States, Spanish has become an essential tool for communicating with patients. In order to prepare students for effective communication with limited English proficiency (LEP) patients, SIAP aims to teach students about the profession of medical interpreting, including the skills, ethics, and cultural competencies needed to provide adequate interpreting services. Also, SIAP provides practical exercises to develop the vocabulary and interpreting skills (e.g., interpreting procedure, listening comprehension, note-taking, and accuracy) needed to break down linguistic barriers between physicians and patients. Lastly, we strive to cultivate cultural sensitivity among medical students.

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Sports Medicine Interest Group (SMIG)

Founded in spring 2018, SMIG aims to educate students about the various paths that can be taken in order to become a sports medicine provider. Additionally, we strive to become involved in the community through service which helps expose students to sports medicine and various potential mentos within the field.

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(SPOTS) Sun Protection Outreach Teaching by Students

SPOTS (Sun Protection Outreach Teaching by Students) founded in fall 2024 is a community outreach program designed to teach students from preschool through high school about the importance of early detection and prevention of skin cancer. Medical students visit local schools to instruct students about sun safe habits, avoiding artificial tanning beds, and skin self-exams.

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Student Patient Advocates for the Rights of our Communities (SPARC)

Founded in spring 2017, SPARC (now affiliated with Doctors for Change) is focused to educate and to advocate. We are a nonpartisan organization focused on evidence-based health advocacy. More specifically, we help local medical students understand the implications of health care policies and proposals and connect students with actions they can take to make a difference.

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Student Equity Alliance (SEA)

Founded in 2015, SEA (formerly know as the Diversity & Inclusion Alliance) is committed to enhancing the learning environment for future health care providers by intentionally supporting the myriads of backgrounds represented by our campus community and proactively engaging differences among colleagues and patients.

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Surgical Oncology Student Interest Group (SOSIG)

Founded in the Spring of 2023, the SOSIG is a student-run organization aimed at providing information and guidance for students interested in pursuing one of the many careers in surgical oncology. Oncology, as a field, provides opportunities to engage with a variety of patient populations using numerous methods of practice, both surgical and medicine-based. We aim to help students make informed and confident decisions about their future by providing shadowing and research opportunities, academic and practical workshops, and student panels, displaying the diversity of the field.

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Trauma-Informed Care Initiative

Formed fall 2020, the Trauma-Informed Care Initiative works to empower survivors and prevent sexual violence, particularly in health care settings, through education, service, and advocacy. Education, through events such as workshops, lectures, and social media campaigns, aim to develop skills to provide safer care to survivors as well as skills to support our peers who have experienced sexual violence. We engage in service both through organizing our own events, such as donation drives, and connecting students to relevant volunteer opportunities, such as becoming an advocate at the Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center.

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United to Serve

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Vascular Surgery Interest Group

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Wilderness Medicine Society (WMS)

WMIG’s purpose is to expose people to the wilderness, discuss medicine in low-resource and wilderness contexts, and provide an opportunity for students and faculty to interact outside the school environment. We are devoted to camping, hiking, and all things outdoors. We are open to all members of the UT Southwestern community regardless of academic program or career plans.

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Women's Health Enrichment Elective (WHEE)

The Women's Health Enrichment Organization, founded in 2014, was established to provide an elective to prepare physicians in training to make informed decisions regarding patients that experience health issues linked to any women's health related topics. This means we seek to fill any gaps in the established curriculum that are not discussed in detail. We further aim to emphasize patient informed consent, autonomy and safety in topics pertaining to women's health, as well as physician information.

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