EVMS student chosen to lead national diversity organization
The Student National Medical Association (SNMA) has a new National Speaker of the House of Delegates. Kethelyne Beauvais, MD Class of 2019, was elected to lead the organization, which supports underrepresented minority medical students.
“The core of SNMA is assisting underserved communities and supporting underrepresented students interested in medicine, and I am very passionate about that mission,” Ms. Beauvais says. “I am excited to be in this new role and am ecstatic that I can serve this organization that has not only supported me here at EVMS, but also many other minority students across the nation.”
SNMA is a student-governed organization with more than 6,000 members nationwide and in the Caribbean. The governing body of SNMA is the House of Delegates (HOD), which is made up of all active SNMA members. The HOD convenes annually at the SNMA National Convention, held in conjunction with the Annual Medical Education Conference, to make important decisions about the organization's direction and declarations regarding health policy and the state of healthcare. The Speaker of the House, assisted by the Parliamentarian, presides over the HOD.
In addition to official duties, Ms. Beauvais hopes to help members be better informed about the actions of the Board of Directors and provide an avenue for them to speak about any concerns they may have.
Ms. Beauvais is the recipient of the Dorothy Middleton Memorial Scholarship at EVMS. The Middleton Scholarship, first awarded in 2011, is funded by an endowment bequeathed by the late Dorothy M. Middleton of Norfolk. It is EVMS’ only full in-state tuition scholarship and is awarded annually to one EVMS medical student from Virginia, based on academic excellence and financial need.
It’s people like Dorothy Middleton who’ve helped me get one step closer to fulfilling my dreams,”
Ms. Beauvais says. “I do hope that through my leadership and service in this role, I make Ms. Dorothy Middleton smile.”