Student Interest Groups - Clubs and Associations

Leadership

President: Max Shteiman
Vice President: Elena Karras
Treasurer: Ethan Levitch
Director of Professional Development: Rachel Tintera
Director of Philanthropy & Advocacy: Eugene Lee
Director of Outreach: Briggs Ham
Alumni Chair: Maria Turcanu 

Attending

Dr. Brittany Bond

Contact

OMSAaig@gmail.com

The Anesthesiology Interest Group (AIG) aims to connect medical students interested in anesthesiology with resources, events, and opportunities to grow as students and future physician anesthesiologists. Our group’s mission is rooted in the importance of advocacy, community outreach, and professional development.

Leadership

President: Michelle Janossy
Vice President: Rachel Thomason
Treasurer: Jacqueline Goodrich

Attending

Dr. Jeffanne Millien

Contact

aws.omsa@gmail.com

The Association of Women Surgeons (AWS) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting the growth and development of women surgeons. Founded in 1981, with approximately 3,000 members, AWS is one of the largest organizations dedicated to enhancing the interaction and exchange of information between women surgeons. As the UQ-Ochsner chapter of AWS, we strive to create an empowering and encouraging environment that enforces these values and connects medical students with women surgeons, resources, and opportunities for development.

Leadership

President: Darrell Andrews

Attending

Dr. Obinna Nnedu

Contact

The Black Student Union at UQ-Ochsner is committed to fostering a supportive, inclusive, and empowering environment for Black medical students. We strive to promote academic excellence, professional development, and mental well-being while addressing the unique challenges faced by Black students in medicine. Through advocacy, mentorship, and community-building, we aim to amplify the voices of Black students, enhance diversity in healthcare, and contribute to the advancement of health equity. Our mission is to ensure that all Black medical students have the resources, support, and sense of belonging necessary to succeed and lead in the field of medicine.

Leadership

President:  Christian Potter
Vice President:  Gibson Hohberg
Treasurer: Tarik Alfayyami

Attending

Dr. Katherine Moody

The Dermatology Interest Group aims to foster a community for medical students interested in dermatology by providing educational resources, hands-on experiences, and networking opportunities. We strive to increase awareness of the field, explore various career paths in dermatology, and equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in dermatology residency applications. Through guest lectures, workshops, shadowing opportunities, and mentorship, our group supports students at all stages of their dermatology journey.

Leadership

President: Savita Singh
Vice President: Jacqueline Goodrich
Treasurer: Rachel Thomason
Secretary: Emma Poryanda
Communications & Liaison Director: Amanda Dalrymple
Outreach Director: Bao Lam

Attending

Dr. Stephen Johnson

The purpose of the diagnostic medical ultrasound interest group is to bring together students interested in learning and/or improving their scanning skills using medical ultrasound which can be used in an acute selling to help with diagnosis. While there is a radiology interest group, our group focuses specifically on ultrasound interpretation as it is a widely used imaging techniques employed by physicians of most specialties and so is a great skill set for medical students to develop.

Leadership

President: Hannah Mukacsi
Vice President: Jim Varghese
Treasurer/Ultrasound: James Wong

Attending

Dr. Ravi Chauhan

Contact

uq.ochsneremig@gmail.com

The Emergency Medicine Interest Group (EMIG) purpose is to bring together students interested in Emergency Medicine and to help students be well prepared for EM residency. To fulfill this goal, EMIG provides mentorship, lectures, hands-on training with simulation and ultrasound workshops, monthly zoom meetings with Ochsner EM faculty and community service opportunities as well as guidance for away rotations and the Standardized Letter of Evaluation (SLoE) process. Ochsner EMIG also hosts the annual AAEM/RSA Southeast Medical Student Symposium.

Leadership

President: Kirsten Johnson
Vice President:  Eugene Lee
Community Outreach Coordinator:  Bao Lam
Treasurer:   Saleha Minhas
Secretary:    Erika Ferguson

Attending

Dr. Jayesh Madrecha

Contact

ochsnerFMIG@gmail.com

The Family Medicine Interest Group's purpose is to create a culture of support and community for those interested in family medicine. We strive to promote the value of this specialty, organize opportunities to give back to the community and connect with others through local/national conferences. We hope to serve as a source of information for students in the match process and establish a network of past and future applicants.

Leadership

President: Samantha Beland
Co Vice Presidents: Jim Varghese & Bailey Rohlfing
Treasurer: Jim Varghese

Attending

Dr. Yvens Laborde

The OCS Global Health Club (GHC) was founded in 2020 to help facilitate student collaboration for the sharing and discussion of global health topics.

Leadership

President:  Ghaith Hashem
Vice President: Jacqueline Goodrich
Treasurer: Rachel Thomason
Events Chair: Samantha Beland
Communications: Sophia Coulter 

Attending

Dr. Jessica Gorham

GSSA is a dynamic and inclusive group committed to fostering a passion for global surgery among students. At the intersection of medicine, surgery, and global health, our alliance strives to create a platform where students can engage in meaningful discussions, collaborative projects, and educational initiatives that address the challenges and opportunities in global surgery.

The GSSA is dedicated to inspiring the next generation of healthcare leaders by providing a space for students to explore the diverse facets of global surgery. Through workshops, seminars, and hands-on experiences, our group aims to broaden perspectives, raise awareness, and cultivate the skills necessary to contribute meaningfully to the field of surgery on a global scale.

Leadership

President: Kirsten Smith
Vice President: Adam Kelmenson
Outreach Officer: Kevin Tran
Secretary and Communications Officer: Kayla Baker
Grand Rounds Officer: An To

Attending

Dr. Tamika Webb-Detiege

Contact

GHHS@ochsner.org

The Gold Humanism Honor Society’s latest initiative is a call to reinforce our essential humanism and humanity. “Healing the Heart of Healthcare: Reimagining How We Listen, Connect, and Collaborate” is a multi-year initiative designed to continue creating the change that true humanistic healthcare requires.

Leadership

Officers:

Isabel Anderson
Amelia Chen   
Analie Fernandes
Christina Hu
Karmveer Kaur
Zain Tirmizi

Attending

Dr. Yvens Laborde

The Inclusive Excellence Committee is dedicated to fostering a culture of equity, advocacy, and accountability within the UQ Ochsner Clinical School. Through educational initiatives, meaningful discussions, and collaborative events, we aim to address systemic inequities in healthcare, enhance cultural competency among learners, and promote inclusive patient care. Our work directly impacts students across all stages of training, as well as the diverse patient communities we serve, ensuring that future physicians are equipped to provide compassionate and equitable care.

Leadership

Presidents:  Dhaval Parel & Pooja Punukollu
Vice President:  Ravi Chachad
Community Outreach:  Roshini Murugadass
Treasurer:  Saleha Minhas
Research Officer: Mahan Najhawan & Kirsten Johnson
Academic Chair:  Bao Lam
Social Chair: Kamran Khan
Clinical Skills Chair: Montana Ellis

Attending

Dr. James Bragg

Contact

ochsnerIMIG@gmail.com

The Internal Medicine Interest Group (IMIG) aims to foster engagement by students interested in internal medicine and IM-related subspecialties by providing resources to assist students in their rotations and the residency match process and organizing community outreach activities and networking opportunities. Members of IMIG are encouraged to become members of the American College of Physicians and to participate in local and national conferences.

Leadership

President: Maggie Bendersky
Secretary: Serena Mathew
Operations Manager: Analie Fernandes
Social Media Managers: Tiffany Lim & Irene Li
Activism Manager: Sonia Ter-Saakyan

Attending

Dr. David Galarneau

“Letters to Strangers (L2S) is the largest global youth-run nonprofit seeking to destigmatize mental illness and increase access to affordable, quality treatment, particularly for youth” – https://www.letterstostrangers.org/about. There are 100+ chapters in over 20 countries worldwide. Having a chapter at UQ-Ochsner mobilizes medical students to treat health as multifactorial, hopefully inspiring future physicians to communicate and advocate for patients mental and physical health alike.

Leadership

Presidents: Caroline Strong
Vice President: Adrianna Hernandez
Treasurer: Gabrielle Herbst

Attending

Dr. Claudia Medina

This SIG empowers medical students to bridge language barriers and provide compassionate, effective care to Spanish-speaking patients an opportunity to build their Spanish vocabulary. We will review key phrases for history-taking and physical exams as well as practice conversational Spanish to build rapport with patients. Through interactive workshops, role-playing exercises, and real-world practice, this group equips medical students with a unique skillset that helps ensure every patient feels heard and cared for.

Leadership

President: Savanah Fowler
Vice President: Kyle Maloney
Treasurer: Savita Singh
Secretary: Sophia Coulter

Attending

Dr. Aaron Karlin

Medicine in Motion (MM) is a 501(c)(3) organization that aims to combat burnout through fitness, philanthropy, and community-building. We are geared to promote wellness for all community members. We host fitness events and collaborate with local gyms to combat burnout.

Leadership

President: Sofya Sargayan
Vice President: Ravi Chachad
Treasurer: Jim Varghese

Attending

Dr. Claudia Medina

Minorities in Medicine aims to provide a safe space for students of minority backgrounds in medicine to share their experiences and support one another.

Leadership

President: Maria Turcanu
Vice President: Erika Ferguson
Treasurer:  Isabel Anderson

Attending

Dr. Jessica Grote

Our mission is to help medical students foster an interest in the fields of obstetrics, gynecology, and women’s health and build a foundation upon which to purse a career in this specialty. OBIG provides opportunities for students to get involved in the community, stay up-to-date on research in the field, socialize with like-minded students, and build relationships with local physicians.

Leadership

President: Jacqueline Goodrich
Vice President: Dhaval Patel
Treasurer: Saleha Minhas
Community Outreach: Michelle Janossy

Attending

Dr. Marc Matrana

The Oncology Interest Group aims to develop and cultivate student interest in the field of oncology through education, research and community outreach. We host a variety of activities throughout the year such as book clubs, journal clubs, and Q&A panels in order to provide medical students the opportunity to engage with the ever-changing and dynamic field of oncology.

Leadership

President: Michael Mullen
Vice President:  Claire Kenneally
Treasurer:  Dhaval Patel

Attending

Dr. Brian Godshaw

To bring together students with a common interest in orthopedics and to organize events that promote orthopedic medicine, research, and teaching to other students. To our knowledge, there are no other student interest groups with a similar purpose.

Leadership

President:  Jacqueline Goodrich
Vice President: Kirsten Johnson
Treasurer: Pooja Punukollu
Community Outreach Chair: Ethan Levitch
Research Chair: Dhaval Patel
Wellness & Self-Care Coordinator: Michelle Janossy

Attending

Dr. Nick Cappadona

The Palliative Medicine Interest Group aims to support student interest and involvement in Palliative Care Medicine through a variety of activities, including book clubs, skills workshops and journal clubs. Whether or not you are interested in pursing Palliative Medicine as a career, end-of-life care is vital to every specialty and we hope to provide a platform for students to engage with, discuss and learn more about providing excellent patient-centered -care within the scope of Palliative Medicine.

Leadership

Co-Presidents: Joseph LaRosa & Olivia White
Vice President:  Lou Song
Treasurer:   Frank Simon
Research Officer: Alexander Fang

Attending

Dr. Darshan Trivedi

Purpose of this group is to enhance student interest in the field of pathology and connect those already interested in pursing a pathology residency with research. Activities planned throughout the year include talks given by pathologists on their specific filed of interest and the ability to attend autopsies.

Leadership

Co-Presidents:  Raquel Gupta & Christina Hu
Vice President:  Ashley Conely & Roshini Murugadass
Treasurer:   Saleha Minhas
Outreach Chair: Jaclyn Gerschultz
Academic Chair:   Isabel Anderson

Attending

Dr. Michelle Puzdrakewicz

The Pediatric lnterest Group's goal is to provide opportunities to volunteer in the community, network with physicians, and keep updated on new research and policies in the field. We hope to educate students interested in pursuing pediatrics on the different career paths within the field and assist in residency planning.

Leadership

President:  Kyle Maloney
Vice President: Rachel Thomason
Treasurer: Jae Ermer

Attending

Dr. Stephen Moran

The Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Interest Group aims to promote awareness of the lesser-known specialty and provide interested students with opportunities to learn more about the specialty, network, and get involved in the community. Annual activities include a “What is PM&R” introductory lecture with a practicing PM&R physician and a post-match panel with recent graduates.

Leadership

President:  Emory Swanger
Vice President: Adam Nagourney
Treasurer: Juan Miguel Zapanta
Social Media Officer: Shrinidhi Bavani

Attending

Dr. Shoichiro Alberto Tanaka

The Plastic Surgery Interest group aims to inspire and educate medical students by providing exposure to the diverse field of plastic surgery. We offer a blend of educational lectures, hand-on workshops, research discussions, and community service initiatives to develop essential skills and foster professional growth. Our mission is to create a supportive network that connects students with experienced surgeons and mentors, empowering them to excel in their future careers.

Leadership

President - Emma Poryanda
Vice President - Sophia Coulter
Treasurer - Stephanie Lewis

Attending

Dr. Dodd Denton

PRISM aims to create a welcoming space for students to connect, share experiences, and support one another. We focus on fostering community, raising awareness about LGBTQIA+ issues, and belonging for LGBTQIA+ Ochsner students and their allies.

Leadership

President: Karmveer Kaur
Vice President: James Yu 
Social Media Chair:  Savanah Fowler
Social Events Chair: Kimia Roghani
Community Outreach Chair: Kamran Khan
Research Chairs: Matina Mamounas & Nishant Rangwani
Treasurer: Andrew Song

Attending

Dr. David Galarneau

Contact

omsapsych@gmail.com

We're dedicated to fostering passion and insight into the field of psychiatry, with training opportunities in relevant skills, discourse on exciting new topics, connection to research and volunteer opportunities in mental health, and recommendations on the rapidly changing nature of applying to psychiatry residency programs. Join us in promoting the wellness of our community!

Leadership

President:  Stephanie Lewis
Vice President:  Conor Kiely
Research: Tarik Al Fayyomi
Treasurer/SEIRMSS: Ghaith Hashem

Attending

Dr. Paul Gulotta

The purpose of the Radiology Student Interest Group is to provide interested students with basic radiology skills to apply to rotations and allow them to become involved with Ochsner's staff. We strive to have everyone involved be a part of our team and assist with event planning and demonstrations.

Donations can be made for the annual Southeastern Interventional Radiology Medical Student Symposium (SEIRMSS) via this link (www.ochsner.org/seirmss).

Leadership

President:  Genie Baluyut
Vice President:  Karmveer Kaur
Treasurer: Jim Varghese

Attending

Dr. Sarah Breaux

Contact

sign.ochsner@gmail.com

The Student Interest Group in Neurology (SIGN) is an organization started by the American Academy of Neurology that spans more than 150 chapters in medical schools across North American. Our chapter is dedicated to providing interested students opportunities to meet physicians in the field, build professional connections, and gain exposure to clinical, research, and service initiatives, all while expanding their knowledge in the specialty of neurology and the broader field of neuroscience.

Leadership

President:  Rachel Thomason
Co-Vice Presidents:  Venkata Paruchuri & Ghaith Hashem
Treasurer:  Jakob Oury
Social Media: Sam Beland
Suture Workshop Coordinator: Sophia Coulter

Attending

Dr. Dennis Sonnier

Contact

omsasurgery@gmail.com

The surgery interest group is committed to providing students with the resources to succeed in their surgical clerkships, sub-internships, and the residency application process. We support our third year students in suture workshops, tips to success in the OR, and surgery Shelf exam reviews. Every year we host a post match panel with recent graduates, journal clubs, and residency application prep meetings with key surgery faculty.

Leadership

Co-Presidents:  Sam Beland & Rachel Thomason
Vice President: Claire Keneally
Treasurer: Ethan Levitch

Attending

Dr. William Carter

Contact

ochsnerwildernessmed@gmail.com

The aim of our student interest group is to foster exploration of non-traditional medical fields, particularly those linked to outdoor environments such as wilderness, dive, climb, hyperbaric, and survival medicine. We encourage careers in rural and underserved areas, emphasizing long-term care. Our activities include volunteer opportunities with an outdoor focus, social events to strengthen member bonds, and teaching essential minimalist medical skills. We also provide resources for first year students on wilderness and rural elective options and promote awareness of environmental impacts in healthcare. Additionally, we organize local and national Wilderness Medicine conferences.

Leadership

Co Presidents:  Venkata Paruchuri & Dhaval Patel
Vice President: Alexander
Treasurer: Ravi Chachad
Social/Outreach Officer: Erika Ferguson
Wellness Officer: Kamran Khan
Project Coordinator: Max Shteiman
Project Manager: Ethan Levitch

Attending

Dr. Dodd Denton

To provide an environment for students to learn about and collaborate on medical design and research projects. We aim to expose students to the principles used in engineering to aid them in understanding how to come up with ideas and apply them to medical problems. Our goal is to create a team-based environment that works on innovative ideas and brings them to life.

Leadership

President: Venkata Paruchuri
Co-Vice President: Jae Ermer & Samantha Beland
Treasurer: Bao Lam
Secretary: Jim Varghese

Attending

Dr. Charles Leithead 

O-VSIG aims to increase vascular surgery education and provide opportunities for growth in the field. These are our “C.O.R.E” goals.

1. Career to promote vascular surgery mentorship and extracurricular experiences.
2. Outreach: to improve vascular health in the New Orleans community through organized events.
3. Research: to enable access to vascular related research and research meetings
4. Education: to host workshops, simulations, and didactic sessions

Leadership

President: Michael Mullen 
Vice President: Jae Ermer 
Treasurer: Dhaval Patel

Attending

Dr. Charles Leithead 

With an aim to make health and happiness accessible to everyone, Walk with a Doc offers free walking programs in communities around the world led by local doctors, healthcare providers, and medical students. These ongoing events will allow participants to safety walk (or roll), learn about current health topics, and meet new people.