The Wayne State University School of Medicine chapter of the American Medical Association has become a staple on the organization’s conference circuit after years of presenting successful resolutions on the national stage, mostly recently at the AMA annual meeting of the House of Delegates and Medical Student Section, both held June 8-12 in Chicago.

The AMA House of Delegates is responsible for policy statements on health topics, one of the cornerstones of the AMA that define what the association stands for as an organization. They provide information and guidance on health issues physicians and others seek from the AMA. The policies are based on professional, scientific standards and the experience of practicing physicians.

“We had many successful resolutions with Wayne State authors both within the Medical Student Section and in the AMA House of Delegates,” said AMA WSU Chapter President Nora Akcasu, a Class of 2022 medical student.

The organizations passed 11 resolutions primarily written by Wayne State students, and three secondarily written by Wayne State students.

The Chicago Tribune publicized the details of one resolution letting minors override their parents’ vaccination refusal.

The American Medical Association also wrote about a resolution a Wayne State student wrote on supporting the widespread distribution of Naloxone boxes throughout the country.

Additionally, student Jeremy Llaniguez, Ph.D., was elected Speaker of the House of the medical student section. Llaniguez is in the final year of his M.D./Ph.D. combined degree program.

“This is a huge accomplishment and one of the top leadership positions in the whole of the medical student section. Jay is an educated, passionate and active member of the AMA, and has been an integral part of Wayne’s chapter for many years. He will lead the medical student section with the utmost integrity and respect,” Akcasu said.

Llaniguez was vice speaker of the national Medical Student Section from June 2017 to June 2018.

In addition, M.D./Ph.D. student Tabitha Moses was elected Region 5 legislative chair and medical student Brianna Sohl was elected Gay and Lesbian Medical Association: Health Professionals Advancing LGBTQ Equality delegate.

The students' trip was funded by the Medical Alumni Association, whose yearly contribution to the group covered transportation and accommodation costs for all students who wanted to attend.

More than 50 percent of the WSU School of Medicine student body has an AMA membership.

The AMA House of Delegates includes more than 600 voting delegates, all AMA members selected by the organization they represent.

Below are successful resolutions by Wayne State students, many first adopted by the Michigan State Medical Society:

• Support Expansion of Good Samaritan Laws. Primary Author: Tabitha Moses; Secondary authors: Aileen Haque, Vikas Kanneganti, Lakshman Mulpuri, Afreen Qadeer, Deepti Shanbhag, Akhil Vedere, Ariana Yakuby
• Improving the Health and Safety of Consensual Sex Workers. Primary author: Dana Benyas; Secondary authors: Fiona Clowney, Jessica Johns, Connor Beuchler, Tabitha Moses, Elana Folbe, May Chammaa, Morgan Potter
• Sunscreen Dispensers in Public Spaces as a Public Health Measure. Primary author: Connor Buechler; Secondary authors: Katanya Alaga, Yusra Oral, Lakshmi Guduguntla, Vikas Kanneganti, Mike Franklin, Aaron Szpytman, Austin Waara, Steven Daveluy, M.D. (faculty)
• Oppose Requirements of Hormonal Treatments for Athletes (Endocrine). Primary author: Tabitha Moses; Secondary authors: Brianna Sohl, Jacob Wilson
• Decriminalization of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Status Non-Disclosure in Virally Suppressed. Primary author: Harrison Quaal; Secondary authors: Jacob Wilson, Kyal Lalk, Brianna Sohl, Tabitha Moses, Zainab Almusawi, Nora Akcasu, Eric Walton, Fiona Clowney, Hannah Kopinsky, Sam Rea, Jaya Parulekar, Liz Martin
• Oppose Mandated Reporting by Therapists of Adolescents who Disclose Having Questions of their Gender Identity. Primary author: Brianna Sohl; Secondary authors: Tabitha Moses, Harrison Quaal, Kyal Lalk, Jacob Wilson, Azza Kineish, May Chammaa
• Physician Health Program Accountability, Consistency and Excellence in Provision of Service to the Medical Profession. Primary author: Tabitha Moses; Secondary authors: Amitosh Singh, Aaron Sherwood, Taymaz Joneydian, Charlie Tsouvalas, Aria Bassiri
• Improved Deferral Period For Blood Donors. Primary author: Sam Rea; Secondary authors: Connor Buechler, Harrison Quaal, Aaron Sherwood, Tabitha Moses, Kyal Lalk, May Chammaa, Brianna Sohl
• Substance Use in Pregnancy. Primary author: Tabitha Moses; Secondary authors: Aashna Sahi, Nora Akcasu, Mara Darian
• Support the Widespread Distribution of Naloxone Boxes Throughout the Country. Primary author: Tabitha Moses; Secondary authors: Deepti Shanbhag, Aileen Haque, Eugenia Zeng, Anneliese Petersen, Amitosh Singh
• Support Development of Childcare Programs for Patients in Drug and Alcohol Addiction Rehabilitation. Primary author: Kierstin Utter; Secondary authors: Tabitha Moses, Nadeen Mansour

Affirmed resolutions that featured Wayne State students as secondary authors included:

• Affirming the Right of Minors to Consent to Vaccinations. Secondary author: May Chammaa
• Advocating for Standardization and Regulation of Outpatient Rehabilitation Facilities. Secondary author: Tabitha Moses
• Support for Rooming-in of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Patients with Their Parents. Secondary author: Tabitha Moses