CMSA Meeting Minutes Jan 14, 2026
January 14, 2026 — Meeting Minutes
Attendance
Present: Ryan, Noam, Nicole, Antonio, Ore, Eliana, Ijun, Jaspreet, Duaa, Rica
Online: Catherine, Sara
Absent: —
Regrets: —
Minutes
Updates
VP Communications — Eliana
Sharing meeting minutes:
Send minutes via email.
Send meeting reminders the night before in the group chat, including room number.
Newsletter info:
“1 email per event” policy.
Clarify promotional emails and limit reminder emails.
Social media:
@calgarymedsa: more official posts; “wobbies”.
VP Academics — Jaspreet & Nicole
Exam score release schedule: to be sent out (tentative schedule; moving forward this will be shared soon).
Research representatives (UMERC):
UME research committee reps are not elected; VPA working on how to fill roles.
Exam feedback process updates:
VPAs + Assessment reps met with Dr. Bendiak and Dr. Desy pre-break.
Feedback process shifted to internal UME process; concern about reduced student involvement.
Proposed student involvement: student reps to send a key takeaway from exam rep/VPA-led survey results.
Blueprints: will be mapped onto a presentation to improve clarity/readability.
Meeting with Anatomy reps
Portfolio roles: unfilled.
Cards (Quality of Life) updates:
Anatomy decks separated from other decks.
Exploring flagging certain decks for personal use.
Moving decks to correct weeks.
Noting which cards were answered incorrectly.
VP Finance — Antonio
Organizing transfer of Scotiabank account to Wobby (2028) council members (Duaa, Catherine, Ijun, Antonio).
Creating an internal budget consultation plan for 2026–2027 fiscal budget.
VP Events — Catherine & Ijun
Events team onboarded; working on Ice Bowl documentation/contacts (Potoo’s did not have documentation).
Current focus: MMI and jersey.
Jerseys: going smoothly. Jersey rep (Chloe) doing class announcement tomorrow (nickname rule reminders).
Winter formal: Feb 28 @ Rajveer Hall.
MMI funding: need more funds (139 people in video; more money needed for food, coffee shops, video costs).
Current funding does not cover food/other costs.
Catherine to reach out to Dr. Remo and look for other funding sources.
Potential collab: Director of Athletics — skating night with VP SAW?
Only Yearbook rep is unfilled.
VP Global Health — Sara
Met with Dr. Annalee Coakley and Global Health portfolio reps.
Idea: run an “equity run clinic” with Dr. Coakley; have participants present about their experience at the Global Health Conference at year-end.
Planning a town hall at end of month with Global Health Portfolio interest groups.
VP External (Provincial) — Noam
Attending CPSA Council Retreat in Calgary: Jan 22–25.
First of four CPSA Council Meetings in Edmonton: March 5–7.
If you have agenda ideas, tell Noam.
AMA Spring RF in Edmonton: March 13–14.
~7 UofC student observers; form coming early Feb.
AMA Committee on Student Affairs Meeting: Feb 10.
Planning PDoA with GAAC and UofA:
Topic: Reducing ER wait times (student-survey vote).
Date: TBD (aiming mid-March).
Will recruit research team and delegates soon.
CMSA Conference Funding Round 4: opens Jan 15, closes March 4.
AMA scholarships/funding: contact Noam with concerns.
Discuss having external for-profit groups pay to present to medical students.
VP External (National) — Ore
ICAM: roundtables likely replicate from 2025; CMSC 2025 agenda.
VP SAW — Ryan
Jan/Feb events:
Dr. Kilam in-class presentation: “how to get where you want to go (pt. 2)” (late Jan)
Review session on student supports (late Jan / early Feb)
“Letter to future self” event (WeCare): Feb 5, 2026
CFMS weekly challenges + skating event: Feb 13, 2026
“How to handle mistreatment in medicine” event (March — Shada PFSP)
UME to purchase a well-being index (burnout study)
VP EDI — Rica
Admissions Committee Rep applications due Friday; classmate committee to review (already created).
Professionalism Committee met with Dr. Wu and Dr. Ramazani on Jan 13 re: committee role within class.
Student committee drafting document to send to Dr. Wu for review.
Considering a group for students separate from CMSA.
Professionalism Committee to review/veto jersey nicknames once finalized.
VP EDIA Top-Up funding decision email to go out tonight.
President — Duaa
Tactile toolkits: working with Taylor Institute + Alex Paquette.
Upcoming Deans Meeting: Jan 21. Topics:
Break between Anatomy and CS switch
Scheduling mishaps/wrong timings in Osler
VPAs tracking podcast quality (whispering audio, wrong placement)
Appreciation for effort uploading podcast slides
Appreciation for exam date schedule shared to VPAs
Google Drive access: everyone to have access to Wobbies folder.
Track your events/roles for smoother handover.
CMSA headshots:
VP IT (Kai Zhang): update website with photos
Social Media Manager (Leena Mazhar): upload council photos/bios
Send headshots via email.
Jersey nicknames: class announcement reminding about professionalism. Next year’s council to explore platforms to avoid anonymity.
Portfolio role check-in:
ILGH Office to recommend student for non-exec ILGH role under VP Global Health.
VPAs to run blind application process to select 2 research reps.
Duaa to contact Cindy (Elections Officer) to host election for:
Yearbook Representative (VP Events portfolio)
Indigenous Health Representative (VP Academic portfolio)
Agenda
1) Previous Meeting Minutes Approval (2 min) — Eliana
Mover:
Seconder:
Minutes link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/13XbCv5SotEdupk0M0Dw224i5mX59K2NU/edit
2) Menti: Working in a Team (10 min) — Duaa
Menti link: https://www.menti.com/al7wa5m2rq1p
3) Robert’s Rules — Quick Review (5 min) — Duaa
4) VP & President Updates (30 min)
5) Voting on Motions (15 min) — Duaa
Motions
Motion (Passed)
THAT the CMSA conduct another election to fill the non-executive roles for Yearbook Representative and Indigenous Health Representative by January 28th.
Mover: Jaspreet
Seconder: Eliana
Result: Motion carried.
Action Items
Discuss who is attending the SGM next meeting.
UME funded: President (Duaa), 1 VPA (Jaspreet), VP Wellness (Ryan).
Everyone send preferred headshots to Duaa; Duaa to forward to Khai and Leena.
External presenter policy motion: move to next meeting after follow-up with UME re: accreditation conflicts.
Discuss adding Executive Faculty Council Meetings as part of President’s portfolio in election manual + constitution.
Discuss using unselected jersey logos as stickers/pins on Jersey Day.
Draft Motion (External Presenter Policy) — For Next Meeting
THAT the CMSA adopt the following policy to be added to the bylaws under Article XIII – Finance.
Section 20: External Presenter Policy
The CMSA shall permit for-profit organizations to deliver informational or promotional presentations (e.g., “lunch talks”) to members or students, subject to approval by the Executive Board.
Only for-profit entities (such as financial, consulting, or insurance institutions) seeking to promote commercial offers or services to students shall be charged a participation fee.
The standard fee structure shall be as follows:
In-person presentations: $1,000 per session, plus the cost of lunch if provided by the sponsoring organization.
Virtual (Zoom) presentations: $500 per session.
The funds raised through these fees shall be allocated to the general CMSA budget and used to support student clubs, events, and initiatives as determined by the Executive Board.
The Executive Board retains discretion to adjust or waive fees in special circumstances with the approval of a majority vote.
This policy shall take effect immediately upon adoption and remain in force unless amended or repealed by the membership according to the procedures outlined in these bylaws.
"
"