Notes from Jan 22 Meeting.

Attending: Rhamy, Jeremy, Ann V, Christina, Hannah, Anne O'C, Joy, Charlie.

Discussion: Health Policy and a Pint

It was proposed that HP&P think about inviting speakers to come to address the group. Some initial suggestions were Barbara Frey and Steven Miles. It was also suggested that the Varsity Theatre be considered as a possible alternative venue.

Discussion: National Conference

• Early registration deadline is Feb 15 for reduced rates on the conference and the hotel.

• It was decided that Anne and Ann would look into flights and ground transportation and costs for same. It would be nice to fly together or in a couple bunches to facilitate pooling of transportation resources.

Initial estimate for the price of flights was $315.

Initial estimate for the price of a cab was $60

Initial estimate for the price of a car rental was $30-50/day.

• The plan is to leave MSP Wednesday 3/12 afternoon and come back Sunday 3/16.

• We plan to pursue a group request for an alternate test-day for the exams in that week.

• Financing: ideas included

** Idea: requesting money from Dean Watson (it was noted that reimbursement for this can take a very long time),

** Idea: fundraising with a bake sale or T-shirt sale or something like that. Ideas for this sale, included having a coffee and baked goods sale in conjunction with the first year's PAS event with the Guthrie Theater. It was noted that PIG is planning coffee and donuts on the 31st of January Joy will check with Noelle to confirm this date to make sure we aren't too close. Joy is heading up the baked goods sale idea with a plan to solicit donated baked goods. It was suggested that solicitations for donations should be done by different people in the group perhaps with the support of a letter stressing the value of the conference and the potential marketing benefits of having product out and available as well as the overall good karma. It was suggested since we are looking for donations around valentine's day to try to get a commitment early so we could be sure to have something at a busy time of year. It was suggested to sell the importance of the conference.

** Idea: fundraising with a "medical student auction" perhaps in conjunction with the Talent Show it might also be directed at premed students as a kind of mentoring activity. Hannah will be heading up the exploration of this idea.

Discussion: Equipment Sale.

Sale is Feb 14. Pre-information for EQ sale... EQ list will come from Dr. Allen.

It was proposed that the Master tutors might help first years pick out equipment or perhaps that there be a panel of second years to say what was valuable and what wasn't. The proposal was to come up with a little informational blurb to pass out in class that would be funny/cute maybe a little like a movie review and pass it out a week before the sale. Rhamy is coordinating this.

Discussion: Regional Conference.

Thank-you letters signed but not sent. Chris Lambert is asked to email R/J/A to ask for the addresses so that the cards can be sent.

Regional conference yielded $4256 to our chapter. We were given most of the profit from the conference by the Mayo chapter presumably because they ate the whole cost of the hotel overbook out of their portion of the profits. See discussion item under national conference.

Discussion: Transition to next year, Regional conference profit allocation, and National Conference Funding,

Because of the windfall from the conference we have potentially a little more than $4000 to use or save. We came into this year with about $3000 and have spent an undetermined amount of those funds. The question was posed: how much of the chapter's money including the Regional Conference money should be used towards defraying costs for the members going to national conference?Considerations included that not everyone in the chapter can or will go to national so draining the bank might not be appropriate given that only some people can go. It was considered that we could stretch our funds further by limiting the number of people who we'll pay for and make awards based on some process for deciding who gets funded but this was believed to have caused bad feelings last year. It was also considered that since Mayo was very generous in giving us so much of the proceeds from regional that maybe we could do something nice for them out of that money. Paying for our hotels and theirs and staying together was proposed. After discussion, three proposals were floated. 1) Use the chapter's money, both pre-exisiting and including the regional conference profits, to defray as much of the costs of the national conference attendants as possible. 2) Use the money from the conference and whatever other funds might be necessary to pay for the whole hotel bill. Flights will be paid for from funds raised for that purpose and from the dean and stretched over everyone who wants them. 3) We restrict paying for costs based on need or on prior involvement in the group.

***A motion was made on the second proposal: Fund the hotels for us and Mayo from chapter funds, Seek other funding for flights and leave a nest egg equivalent to this year's starting bank balance to support next year's start up and activities.

****Motion was seconded and voted on. 8 ayes, 0 nays, 0 abstaining.

****Treasurer to approve or modify this plan as needed within this general framework in consultation with the presidents.

Discussion: Pharm Free Grant. No update currently.

*Leadership Transition to begin following National Conference. Goals and Ideas for next year to be discussed in late March/ Early April with a complete transition by the end of the year.

*It was proposed for consideration that the leadership team for e group next year include a community liaison to maintain contacts acquired during this year and build on our outreach and advocacy work.

*MMA meeting Saturday Jan 26. Agenda is to plan coordination with other groups. and discuss money/funding and support from the MMA to the medical school groups.

*Physicians for a National Health Plan (?) PNH. is looking for a list of student members. We are planning to offer this to our members.

* Any plans for a response to the RNC convention are to be discussed at the next meeting.