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Student Groups and Organizations

Student Organizations and Activities

Student Government Association (Elected)

Acts as a liaison between the students, faculty, administration and alumni of the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University as well as other elements of the Health Science campus community. Promotes activities for the academic, social, professional, and administrative welfare of the entire student body.

Honor Board (Elected)

Responsible for providing information about and upholding the LKSOM Honor Code. It is composed of an elected board of 20 students (five from each class) and six faculty members who deal with the educational and administrative aspects of Temple's Honor System.

Curriculum Committee (Elected)

Designed for students interested in learning about, and participating in, decisions affecting the LKSOM curriculum. Each class selects a representative to serve as voting committee members together with faculty representatives from all Basic Science and Clinical departments. Decisions made involve curricular philosophies, content and scheduling.

Student Diversity Council

The Student Diversity Council (SDC) at Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University advocates for students who have been under represented in medicine. Composed of students from all four years, who are racially diverse and culturally conscious, it is poised to ensure that minority and marginalized concerns are addressed promptly and appropriately. The council works in collaboration with the Dean and administration to efficiently and effectively implement change at LKSOM and Temple University Hospital.

Community Service Organizations

BIG Friends

Provides 4th and 5th grade students of Kenderton Elementary School with assistance in various academic areas as well as social and cultural areas. Tutors donate two hours every other week for two months.

Global Medical Brigades

Plans and executes a one-week long medical service trip through the Medical Brigades division of the national Global Brigades organization. This is a trip intended for medical students who want to gain clinical experience abroad, but participants may include professionals and students in other fields.

Habitat for Humanity

Addresses the Philadelphia poverty housing crisis by working regularly with Habitat for Humanity and providing volunteer labor and funding to build homes for low income families.

Help Energize and Rebuild Ourselves (HERO) Temple Volunteers

Supports the Helping Energize & Rebuild Ourselves (HERO) non-profit organization. Students assist HERO through volunteering with the daily after-school program from Monday thru Thursday with 30 kids from the local community. In addition, the group has also taken part in bigger events for HERO, such as computer renovating, pumpkin carving, and canned food drive.

International Health Organization

Provides information and education about international health and helps students prepare for experiences in international health. Arranges talks, distributes information, and works with faculty to ensure that LKSOM offers a range of international health opportunities.

Medible Learning Garden

Integrates students and faculty from Temple’s schools of Health Sciences and the Ambler School of Environmental Design, to design, develop, plant, and sustain medicinal plants, vegetables, as well as herbs and other plants. We have developed into an outreach initiative, engaging North Philadelphia inhabitants with a variety of herbs, fruits and vegetables.

Medical Entrepreneurship, Design, and Innovation Collaborative

Brings together students from all across Temple including nursing, dental, social work, pharmacy and business and sends them out in the community to tackle big issues you couldn't do alone. Themes include education, community health and cutting costs.

Puentes de Salud

Promotes the well-being of Philadelphia’s Latino population through low-cost, high-quality health care, community development, and innovative education programs. During Monday and Thursday evening clinics, student volunteers can work with physicians, practice their Spanish by giving "charlas" (waiting room education), and take vital signs while learning the ins and outs of a clinic for the uninsured. Outside of clinic, volunteers can get involved in community education, health screenings at local events/fairs, and other opportunities throughout the community.

Science in Philly Schools

Brings Temple medical students directly into the science classroom at the Mary McLeod Bethune School. SiPS is a science outreach program that aims to enhance the science curriculum at the Bethune School by providing weekly, hands-on laboratory science lessons for the 7th and/or 8th grade students. The lessons, led by Temple students under the supervision of Bethune teachers, emphasize fundamental topics relevant to the curriculum, focusing on a hands-on approach to learning.

Temple Emergency Action Corp/Temple Emergency Action Corp-Homeless Initiative

Trains medical students in disaster response and will be able to mobilize quickly in the event of a local, national, or international disaster to provide basic medical care to those affected.

Enrichment Activities

Book Club

Meets regularly to discuss literature related to medicine. The group includes novels as well as short story selections.

Integrative Medicine Interest Group

Offers students opportunities to learn about alternative therapies for health and well-being. Students organize speaker series and provide information and resources about the role integrative medicine can have for practitioners and patients.

Students Engaging in Health Policy

Equips current students with the proper knowledge and insight gained from the exposure to diverse perspectives that is necessary to develop informed opinions regarding health care reform.

Students for a National Health Policy   

Advocates for universal, comprehensive, single payer national health insurance. We engage in education and advocacy work to build a movement for single-payer health care.

Temple Arts Group

Aspires to foster the arts within a healthcare setting and among the student body. The LKSOM Arts Group (TAG) is a community of students with backgrounds and/or interest in the visual arts, music, dance, film, museums, theater, or any other area related to the arts.

Temple Cricket Club

Promotes awareness of the international sport of cricket and brings together students and faculty who share a passion for or desire to learn cricket. The organization believes in equal opportunity for all, and will thus aim to break and divides between pupils from different backgrounds to work towards the collective goal of teamwork and community leadership. This goal will be duly accomplished through collaborative efforts with other organizations and interest groups established at the Temple University Health Sciences campus and within the surrounding areas.

Temple Med Soccer

Provides a variety of opportunities for any student who is interested in playing soccer. The group organizes a team for a full field outdoor soccer league against other medical schools in Philadelphia, pick-up indoor soccer, and support intramural indoor soccer on the health sciences campus.

Specialty Interest Groups

Anesthesiology Interest Group

Prepares Temple medical students for a career in anesthesiology via mentorship and hands on learning.  Faculty and residents will teach students basic skills that are critical to the practice of anesthesiology, via OR cases, lectures, and workshops.

Babcock Surgical Society

Provides opportunities to shadow surgeons and participate in surgical skills training labs alongside surgery residents and attendings. Upcoming events for the year include General Surgery, Trauma and Orthopedic Surgery shadowing programs and a variety of guest lecturers. Also holds hold surgical skill workshops to teach suturing, knot tying, and other valuable surgical skills to students.

Careers in Military Medicine Interest Group

Brings together medical students currently in the military or those interested in military medicine. We promote awareness of the opportunities available in the military, provide HPSP students with resources, help with administrative and military specific issues, and to provide networking opportunities to Health Professions Scholarship Program students, residents, and faculty of all military branch.

Dermatology Interest Group

Strives to provide educational opportunities for medical students who wish to gain exposure to the field of dermatology. We create a platform for students to be able to access shadowing and research positions within the department of dermatology, provide support to those pursuing a career in dermatology, organize talks/lecture by faculty to discuss relevant topics, and raise community awareness on various dermatological conditions through volunteer opportunities.

Emergency Medicine Interest Group

Exposes pre-clinical medical students to the field of Emergency Medicine, since students do not otherwise have the opportunity to do so until their fourth year. Activities include: guest speakers, an Emergency Room shadowing program for first year students, and an Emergency Room volunteer program for second year students.

Family Medicine Interest Group

Encourages interaction between residents, faculty, practicing physicians and students interested in family medicine. Holds formal events, such as speaker series and meetings, and informal ones, such as potluck dinners and an end of year reception for graduating students entering Family Practice residencies.

Internal Medicine Interest Group

Provides opportunities for those interested in internal medicine to learn more about the field. Sponsors lunch lectures with guest speakers, and offers a mentorship program in which students are paired with internal medicine physicians.

Ob-Gyn Interest Group

Provides opportunities for students to observe labor and delivery as well as to participate in a mentorship program with doctors and residents. Sponsors monthly noontime speakers.

Ophthalmology Interest Group

Provides free monthly eye care screenings for 10-20 patients at District Health Center #5 at 1900 North 20th St on the first and the third Thursday of every month. This allows first and second year students to learn valuable ophthalmology exam techniques while interacting with patients in a clinical setting. In addition, OSIG has held one to two forums per semester to increase awareness of the opportunities in ophthalmology. The ophthalmology residents discuss the application process and how to learn more about the specialty.

Orthopedic Interest Group

Organizes discussions and speeches by orthopedic surgeons specializing in fields ranging from sports medicine to trauma surgery. Members collaborate with residents, attendings and chiefs from several local hospitals to form a network providing information and resources for those interested in orthopedic surgery.

Pediatrics Interest Group

Focuses on providing opportunities to learn more about the field and participate in care-giving. Features a variety of speakers, participates in health fairs and immunization drives held at a local elementary school, and provides opportunities for students to volunteer in a resident-run pediatric clinic, working alongside residents to gain clinical exposure beginning during their first two years of medical school.

Psychiatric Student Interest Group

Strives to explore topics relevant to the practice of psychiatry. PsychSIG is further dedicated to serving as a bridge between those LKSOM students interested in pursuing a career in psychiatry with faculty mentorship and resources.

Radiology Interest Group

Provides talks and networking opportunities for students interested in Radiology.
Student Interest Group in Neurology Functions to help forge relationships between medical students and physicians and residents in the field of neurology.

Student Associations

Al-Shifaa Muslim Student Organization

Sponsors talks, participates in community service activities ranging from tutoring to assisting older adults, and provides information on Muslim cultural events and resources.

American Medical Association

Provides updates on medical issues and techniques both in Pennsylvania and nationwide. Participates in national meetings of the American Medical Association (AMA) and sponsors various activities and lectures on topics such as current issues in medicine to career considerations for medical students.

American Medical Student Association

Run for and by medical students, this national organization deals with medical and political issues. Offers national, regional and local chapter activities for its members. The local project is STATS: Students Teaching AIDS to Students, a program to teach high school students about AIDS. The group also sponsors a lunchtime lecture series at Temple and offers publications, insurance programs, and loan funds.

American Medical Women Association

Open to all those who wish to advance women in medicine and promote the health of women and their families. All medical students, graduate students, and undergraduates are invited to join as AMWA Student Members.

American Physician Scientists Association

Guides future physician scientists on a national level with respect to their training and career development. At Temple, the group highlights physicians who are actively involved in research and advises students on how they can incorporate research into their career.

Asian Pacific Medical Student Association

Serves as a forum for Asian Pacific American medical students to exchange information and experiences, and develop personally and professionally.

The Black Society of Physician Assistant Students

Serves to uplift and cultivate the black representation in the physician assistant profession, progressively interact and engage with the underserved surrounding community, encourage high scholastics and ethical standards, maintain the standard of “do no harm”, and provide service and outreach to minority groups. 

Catholic Medical Student Association

Dedicated to those who wish to learn more about the Catholic faith and how to live faithfully as medical professionals, while upholding principles of social justice. Activities include engaging in dialogue and debate on various medical ethical issues, outreach, and participation in the events, and liturgies of the Temple University Newman Center.

Christian Medical and Dental Association

Meets weekly year-round to learn from the Bible, pray, and enjoy fellowship. Activities include singing, sharing food, special guest speakers, and sharing life's victories, defeats, and challenges.

Jewish Student Union    

Aims to engage all self-identifying Jewish students, no matter their level of religious observance or Jewish education. JSU believes that a connection to the Jewish community is important and can be a source of support for all students, and hopes to provide a sense of home and a sense of camaraderie. Open to all members of the Temple community.

Latino Medical Student Association

Aims to increase the participation of Latino medical students in the organization and to promote volunteerism in the Latino community. The group looks forward to starting projects/collaborations between the Latino community and Temple/LMSA, which will allow all medical students to participate and volunteer. Learn More >>

Medical Students for Choice

Dedicated to ensuring that women receive the full range of reproductive healthcare choices. MSFC recognizes that one of the greatest obstacles to safe and legal abortion is the absence of trained providers. As medical students and residents, we work to make reproductive health care, including abortion, a part of standard medical education and residency training.

owLGBTQ+ and Allies in Medicine

OwLGBTQ+ and Allies in Medicine promotes LGBTQ+ education and inclusiveness at Lewis Katz School of Medicine. Our goal is to improve the quality of healthcare for LGBTQ+ patients, as well as the conditions for LGBTQ+ medical students, physicians, and healthcare workers. We coordinate educational workshops, organize outreach and service events with local organizations, disseminate research on LGBTQ+ health issues, and host networking events within the Temple community and with other medical schools in the Greater Philadelphia area.

South Asian Health Student Association

Promotes South Asian health awareness, to engage in and educate others about traditional cultural activities, and to serve the South Asian community within Philadelphia and beyond. SAHSA serves as a hub for students to make meaningful connections with their future colleagues and with the local community.

Student National Medical Association

Develops a network of traditionally underrepresented minority medical students and to improving health care conditions of the underserved community. The group holds programs such as blood pressure screenings in the surrounding community, AIDS awareness workshops in elementary and high schools, seminars on opportunities in medicine, and provides opportunities to interact with colleagues from other institutions.