Welcome to the website of The Student National Medical Association (SNMA) at the University of Illinois, Chicago. The SNMA was established because of a need to produce competent and compassionate physicians who would go on to work in underserved communities. In 1895, Robert F. Boyd, MD and Daniel H. Williams, MD joined forces and founded the National Medical Association (NMA). This historic event was significant because at that time, the premier medical organization was the American Medical Association (AMA): which denied membership to physicians of color. SNMA was born from the NMA as its student division.

Today, the SNMA is the oldest and largest minority student organization that addresses the health concerns of underserved minority communities nationwide and works to instill an obligation to achieve excellence within minority students.

Our Mission
Our mission is to address both community and societal health issues that are adversely affecting the underserved as well as to seek to increase minority representation within the healthcare field.