1. Find a faculty sponsor, ideally a dermatologist in your school's Department who is student-oriented. Simply send the individual an email explaining that you want to start a DIG and you need a faculty person to ask for advice along the way. Be sure to emphasize that their time commitment will be minimal as the DIG Faculty Advisor.
2. Contact your Student Affairs office to find out how to register a new student organization. Ask if there are any funds available for your DIG's activities. Additionally, ask what funding resources or opportunities are available for student-run interest groups.
3. Decide who will be the main chairperson/president of the DIG. Also, consider other positions within the DIG such as secretary, service project/volunteer coordinator, etc... Further, speak with your Faculty Advisor about the different DIG activities that your are considering having. Your advisor may have other ideas or know of other faculty members within the department who would be willing to be involved. Finally, it is advisable to have a good mix of MS1 through MS4 members who will hold positions; this will make the DIG stronger and help to maintain a continuity from year to year as new MS1 students begin and MS4 students graduate.
- the NAME and E-MAILS of the main officers of the DIG (i.e. President, Secretary, Etc)
- the NAME of the DIG Faculty Advisor
Don’t forget to email your Regional Director, whose names are listed below.
5. Schedule your first meeting. The easiest type of meeting is a lecture during lunchtime. All you need is to find a speaker, reserve a room, order the food, and then advertise the meeting to your classmates via email. The best kind of initial meeting is usually "An Introduction to Dermatology." During this meeting, your speaker may choose to address what the field of dermatology is all about, some general advice regarding the application process for residency programs, and/or what types of activities, grades, etc. will help to make a student competitive in this field.
Funding from the food can come from your student affairs office, your Dermatology department, or a drug company. However, it is not necessary to have lunch at this meeting. You can advertise a "Brown Bag" bring-your-own lunch meeting.
Welcome to DIGA!