Starting a new AAPI MSRF chapter? Congratulations! We are excited to have you on board and are looking forward to working with you during the year. We have set up this membership kit to help you start your local chapter and effectively integrate it into our national system.

The first thing to reference is the membership checklist below, which outlines the necessary steps to become an official recognized chapter. There is also a suggestions page that should help get things underway. Reach out to us and other nearby medical school chapters during this entire process. We can all give you lots of great ideas and options to start your new chapter.

Membership is free and anyone can join. We ask that anyone who signs up for your local chapter also joins the national AAPI MSRF chapter. Joining is easy— simply have them navigate to the Membership page.

CHECKLIST:

• Official name of your parent institution and chapter.
• Main contact person for chapter, including name, mailing address, email addresses (University Or professional email addresses preferred. No Hotmail or Yahoo accounts please!), and available phone numbers (home, pager, cell).
• All officer information in the following format:
• “Office – First M. Last – Sex – email”
  Example:
  “President – Maneesh G. Kumar – Male – myemail@uiowa.edu”
• Local Chapter Constitution that meets the requirements under Sample AAPI-MSR Constitution as a Microsoft Word Document sent as an e-mail attachment please.
• Person chosen to be your faculty advisor (does not have to be a physician in parent AAPI or a physician in your particular institution, although both of these things would be preferred).
• Any plans for financing your chapter. (e.g. fundraising events, money from the university/HOSPITAL, private financier, etc.)
• Parent university/school procedures for becoming an affiliated organization of the respective parent university/school and steps taken to meet those requirements. It is not a requirement to be an official organization under your parent institution, but please try to do so as it will only make your organization stronger.
• Final Step: Please send all of the above information to the Membership Chair

SAMPLE CONSTITUTION:

Below is a sample constitution you may use for your new chapter. Feel free to amend and edit to fit your particular chapter’s needs.

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

Article I: PURPOSE AND MISSION STATEMENT

A: Purposes

• The AAPI-MSR Chapter is a local chapter of the parent organization AAPI-MSR, and will represent medical students and resident physicians of South Asian origin at aapimsrf@aapiusa.org.
• The AAPI-MSR Chapter will promote, uphold, and maintain the highest standards of ethics in the practice of medicine and medical education.
• The AAPI-MSR Chapter will provide a channel of networking, support, and open communication among its members, and to the national organization.
• The AAPI-MSR Chapter will actively work to represent its members and their professional needs in both political and social domains.
• The AAPI-MSR Chapter will provide non-profit group service to the community at large and host other activities by local chapter members.

B: Mission Statement

The AAPI-MSR Chapter will assist the national parent organization in promoting the professional, political, and social goals of South Asian American medical students and resident physicians.

Article II: MEMBERSHIP

A. Eligibility Requirements

• Medical student or resident physician (intern, resident, or fellow) in training at __________, who have paid the required dues of the organization.
• Membership in the national AAPI-MSR (free membership)
• Active interest in South Asian physician related issues

B. Discrimination

Membership shall not be discriminated against because of race, color, gender, age, handicap, religious preference, disabilities, sexual orientation, ethnic or national origin.

Article III: OFFICERS AND ELECTIONS

A. Officers

The following offices shall be held by any active member of AAPI-MSR who became a member of both the national and local AAPI chapters no later than the academic semester preceding general elections.

• President
• Vice-President
• Treasurer
• Secretary

B. Elections

• General elections are to be held anytime during the spring semester of each academic year, between March 1 and April 30, as seen fit by the previous governing board of officers.
• A general quorum or (3/4) of local AAPI-MSR members is required for elections to take place. Absentee voters do not count towards quorum.
• Absentee ballots may be accepted until midnight on the first election meeting where quorum is met. Ballots must be physically in the possession of the board and must be verified by at least two officers to be valid.

Article IV: AMENDMENTS

A. Proposal

Any proposal for an amendment to the Constitution shall be typewritten and shall state the Article, Section, and Paragraph to be changed, and shall be submitted to the AAPI-MSR Officers.

B. Presentation

The AAPI-MSR Officers may change wording for clarification, but not to modify the intent, and present the new amendment, the part to be replaced and financial impact, if any, to the next Executive Committee Meeting.

C. Approval

After approval by three-fourths (3/4) of the voting members of the Executive Committee, proposed amendments to the Constitution are to be published by the Secretary for distribution within thirty (30) days to the general body after the vote.

D. Effective Date

The amendment shall take effect at the close of the next General Body Meeting at which it must obtain two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote.