One of the main purposes of the APMSA is to represent student opinion. If their ability to do this is compromised in any way, then yes, it loses its ability to act as the student voice and it becomes a mouthpiece for another organization. Many other organizations are autonomous for important reasons: NBPME, CPME, AACPM, the Deans, each school, etc. They have meetings where they can interact with other organizations and get their input, and then they try to fulfill their mission as they see best. The student organization (APMSA) can't dictate that other organizations do this or that, but reminds and encourages incessantly at issues that cannot be ignored like the residency shortage (which would be much worse if other organizations would have been content to just say "oh it will all work out, there won't be a shortage, etc" as they have). Student representatives also take back the information from their meetings to their schools via emails, publications, orally, website, etc. If the student representatives were unable to represent student interests in an unbiased way, they would simply be leading the campaigns for agendas of other organizations, and not filling their mission of representing the students.
Currently, the APMA offers students many free perks as a gesture of goodwill and to provide a sample of what they offer the DPM after graduation. The APMA plays many important roles on a national and state level. They offer students free access to their website that has lots of useful information on scope of practice, legislative action, public relations initiatives, and links and information about many affiliated organizations and issues that affect the profession. They offer students free subscriptions to JAPMA and APMA News and other benefits as students. The APMA tries to allow students the resources to become educated on all the aspects of the profession they may be interested in. What they do is excellent, and it allows students to see what the APMA offers so that they can become members after graduation if they desire. They have offered this "student membership" free of charge for a while, and it works well - students get information and the APMA gets to showcase some of what it offers DPM members.
The "merger" issue was presented at the very end of the APMSA house of delegates meeting and it was attempted to rush it through. It was said that if it was not passed, the APMA would withdraw it. It was also stated that if it didn't pass, the APMA might retract all those benefits they offer students now. The student house voted against adopting it because it was vague and there wasn't enough time to get student opinion on the matter. The vagueness was particularly concerning - what prompted this and why is it so urgent and so monumental? What would be the implications of the change? Would students have to pay dues to APMA? If the entire student body population from all 9 schools were grafted in, would they get equal representation as other DPM's (1 vote for every 100 members), and would they be able to represent students or would their population just count toward the membership of the states where their schools are (which would do nothing for student interests)? There were many vague points that were not clarified and the attempts were made to rush it through. The student house voted against it and if it wants to be addressed again, it can come up at the next house meeting.
That was not good enough though. Immediately afterward, the APMA informed the APMSA that their initiative could not be retracted (why?) as they had stated before and began contacting individual delegates, alternates, and class presidents. I will not comment on specific tactics that they are using but I wonder why these things cannot be done openly, in session, or even in writing? If this has been something on the APMA agenda for over a year, why wait till the 11th hour and 59th minute? Why corner individual students and use inappropriate and unprofessional tactics?
Perhaps to get at the issue, the question should be why now does the APMA want students to become "official" members? Is there some other external issue involved? Why don't they provide details? Why don't they provide specifics in what the new grafted membership would entail? Why wouldn't they allow the same equal representation for students if they were supposedly full members? Why the hints of taking away all the benefits that the APMA offers? They say that autonomy of the student organization will not be compromised, and that students would be full members, but their current actions are not consistent with this statement.
The APMA does a lot of good work for the profession and for students as well that is commendable and laudable. I personally plan on being a member after I graduate and finish residency. But this particular issue is so convoluted and abnormal, that it deserves proper investigation into the motives and ramifications before moving forward on it. All things should be done with due process and with all the facts presented.
This is an APMA initiative that they have proposed and are trying to rush through. The onus is on them to provide the specifics and details about why this would benefit students enough to make students vote to merge with them. So far, I am not convinced that there is any reason to make the change, and I see many concerning reasons to tread carefully.
The purpose of this post was to get students to discuss these issues with their student representatives. For this reason I have not stated other things that would be out of line. I simply encourage students to discuss this issue with their delegates/student body presidents, and for the APMA to put their motives and justifications in writing, and be open and professional about their interactions with potential future colleagues.
