President's update  by Zachary Veitch

Welcome to the NOSM Student Society’s Presidential update, a resource that is meant to keep the students informed of the issues facing them and the direction that we as an executive group are taking. As we continue to advocate on behalf of student body I would like to share with you some of the guiding principles that myself and the rest of the NOSMSS will be sure to employ.  

The NOSM Student Society will endeavour to:  

1. Be a proactive entity, responding and advocating for student needs at or before the time they are voiced by the students. 
2. Communicate effectively with our local and national entities to represent the majority of student opinion and strive to ensure transparency as an organization.  
3. Reflect on its policies and request feedback from the student body regularly. 
4. Support students in organizing clubs, events, and/or learning opportunities for the benefit of the student body.  
5. Attend ALL external conferences and fill available NOSM positions on external committees such as the CFMS and OMSA. 
6. Be financially accountable to our constituents by providing a yearly budget and financial updates at our bi-annual General Assembly. 
7. Work closely with administration to promote positive curriculum and policy development that is student-centered. 

As a means to accomplish these lofty goals, here are the projects our group will be working on over this summer! 

• NOSMSS Budget – Presented at our biannual General Assembly (October and March), the NOSM Student Society ensures complete transparency with regards to your student fees and helps your money work for you through Student Lounge projects, Buddy Events, Orientation week, and many other activities! 
• Student Lounge Updates – With the addition of a new student lounge on the west campus, the student society will be working hard over the summer to provide updates to our student lounges! Plasma screens and games tables! 
• Club Funding – The participation in existing clubs or the development of new medically related clubs is an important aspect of any medical school experience. Financial and Official recognition of these clubs is a top priority of the NOSMSS and we encourage students to become involved!
•  International Electives Information Page - Many students opt to see the world throughout the summer or complete an elective overseas. This page will help get you started in the right direction and send you on your way to a once in a lifetime experience!
• Provision of Insurance for Student-run Events – Working with our partners in Learner Affairs, the diligence of past executive groups have secured a Risk-Assessment protocol and Insurance process for all student run events. 
• Orientation week - Planning is underway by our Student Orientation Week Committee (SOWC) for our extra-curricular activities. We hope that the incoming class of 2010 has a memorable O-week!! 
• External conferences - The Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Federation of Medical Students occurred this past April in St. John’s Newfoundland with the NOSMSS sending 4 delegates! 
• Communication - Students will be receiving regular communications from our VP Educations and VP Executives! 

With all of these projects on the go, we are looking forward to an extremely productive year! As always, we welcome your feedback on any and all of these projects.  

Enjoy the rest of your summer!! 

~Zachary Veitch B.Sc., B.A., M.Sc. 

M.D. Candidate - NOSM 2012 

President, NOSM Student Society