SAMA PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Assalaamu alaikum and welcome to the Somali American Medical Association (SAMA)! Our board of directors is excited that you are here, and we hope that you can find valuable information about who we are, our values, and our mission. As the president of SAMA, I am excited to welcome you all to learn more about our organization and how we can support you in your goals.

Our organization was founded by our current board of directors with the primary purpose of establishing a professional association for Somali American physicians, those pursuing medicine as well as those in allied healthcare fields. In establishing SAMA, our goals include providing a space for physicians and those pursuing medicine to find like-minded peers, creating a network of medical professionals, supporting those pursuing medical school, residency, fellowship, or a research career, advancing the understanding of public health challenges that face the Somali American community, and promoting education of health topics within the Somali American community. SAMA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that aims to achieve these goals and many more with the support of our board of directors, board of trustees, community partners, and valuable members.

The SAMA's primary focus is to support you in your goals of pursuing medicine regardless of what stage you are currently in. Our membership is multi-disciplinary and composed of attending physicians, fellow physicians, resident physicians, medical students, and allied health professionals such as physician assistants and nurse practitioners. We are excited to have established SAMA and are constantly striving for ways to better support our members and community.

I invite you to join us officially as a member of SAMA so that you can learn more about our goals, mission, and leadership. You will also have access to a multitude of resources including mentorship programs, networking with peers, events geared towards pursuing medicine, and so much more. We look forward to having you join us in person at our annual conference in which we detail our accomplishments as well as the accomplishments of our members. Soo dhawaada!

Mahadsanidin,

Hoda Hassan, MD

President of SAMA