FAQ - Anesthesia Interest Groups

Frequently Asked Questions

I’ve seen many acronyms floating around (AIG, ASA, MSC, HOD, PAC). What do they all stand for?

• AIG = Anesthesia Interest Group. A medical school student organization that provides resources and programming for students interested in anesthesia.

• ASA = American Society of Anesthesiologists. The flagship organization for anything and everything anesthesia. Membership is not just extended to practicing physicians, but also strongly encouraged for medical students!

• MSC = Medical Student Component. Within the ASA, there are many component organizations. The one dedicated to medical student programming is referred to as the ASA MSC. If you join the ASA as a student member, you are automatically part of the ASA MSC. Within the ASA MSC, there is a governing council of student leaders who are elected to help direct its projects and forward movement.

• HOD = House of Delegates. Each U.S. medical school is permitted one student delegate and one student alternate delegate. Together, the delegates, alternate delegates, and governing council members form the HOD. Every year at the ANESTHESIOLOGY annual meeting, a HOD session is held to vote on issues important to the growth of the ASA MSC and elect the governing council officers.

• PAC = political action committee. The ASAPAC is the political backbone of the ASA. The ASAPAC provides support for ASA’s advocacy efforts and allows our members to participate in the political process. It ensures that anesthesiologists have a voice on issues important to our patients and our profession.

What is an AIG’s relationship to the ASA?

For the most part, AIGs are self-sufficient entities that function at the local medical school level. They serve as a connector to the ASA, which provides many valuable student resources, as well as student member perks, such as discounted registration to the ANESTHESIOLOGY annual meeting. AIG student members also enjoy running for leadership positions within the ASA MSC. Being part of an AIG serves as a lead point for taking your involvement with anesthesiology to the next level.

Forming a new AIG from scratch sounds daunting. Do you have any tips on how to get started?

We are excited that you are interested in undertaking this project. It is best to identify a group of students who are interested in forming an inaugural AIG, as well as a faculty advisor (usually a physician anesthesiologist affiliated with your school) to guide the group. Make sure you are familiar with how your school officially approves new student organizations. You may need to submit a formal application to your school and comply with certain guidelines. Each school has different policies. Please refer to the Guide to Building an Active Anesthesia Interest Group for more information.

Does a new AIG need to be approved by the ASA?

The AIG is a formal structure within each individual medical school, but not within the ASA. There isn’t a verification process conducted by the ASA. Your AIG should be compliant with your school’s student organization criteria.

What information/documents must be submitted to the ASA when starting a new AIG?

ASA does not require any documentation for AIGs. However, please email the following information to [email protected]:

• Full name of medical school
• Administrative contact name, title (e.g. Dean of Student Affairs), and email address
• Faculty advisor name and email address
• AIG student contact name, position (e.g. president, secretary) and email address
• ASA MSC delegate name and email address.

Is there a start-up fee?

ASA does not charge any fees (nor provide any financial support) to AIGs currently.

How are leadership roles assigned?

Each school’s AIG will decide for itself the election process and selection criteria for leadership positions. AIGs will hold their own elections.

How many meetings/events should we hold?

This is entirely up to your AIG. Most schools find that they can manage 2-4 events per semester. Please refer to the Guide to Building an Active Anesthesia Interest Group for more on possible meeting ideas. However, please be cognizant that if you agree to undertake the project of starting up a new AIG, you are committing to providing quality events for the students at your school, at minimum of 1 per semester. We discourage AIGs that are only in name, but not in action.

Is there any formal recognition for truly outstanding AIGs?

Yes! Every summer, the Outstanding AIG Award application process opens for submission. This is an opportunity for the ASA MSC to recognize those AIGs that show exceptional level of student participation, enthusiasm, program quality, and more! Winners are recognized at the Medical Student HOD during the ANESTHESIOLOGY annual meeting and presented with a certificate for their school.

Who do I contact if I still have more questions?

We encourage you to submit any additional questions to [email protected].