Rehab Med Alumni Council representative Grant Irwin, RMSA President Cassidy Fleming and Dean Bob Haennel were at the Kick-Off event on Sept. 6, 2017 at Corbett Hall to welcome students to campus.
The Rehabilitation Medicine Students' Association (RMSA) has pledged $5,000 to establish the (fittingly named) Rehabilitation Medicine Students' Association Award.
The award will be presented annually, beginning in the 2017/2018 school year, to a member of the RMSA who is a full-time student from any of the graduate programs in the University of Alberta's Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine and who has demonstrated involvement in volunteer activities and promotion of the Faculty and/or profession within the community.
"The RMSA is dedicated to developing meaningful relationships among students and community members. With this award, we want to recognize those students who will be ambassadors of the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine and their professions in the future and to foster community involvement," said Cassidy Fleming, current President of the RMSA.
The RMSA is the official representative body of the graduate students in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine. Their role is to actively represent all students within the Faculty and enhance the student experience, to facilitate faculty-student collaboration and encourage all students to build connections between different departments, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration and the Faculty.
"I got involved with the RMSA because I saw it as a great way to get involved outside of the classroom. Previous mentors have emphasized the positive impact that involvement in student organizations can have on both the student experience and your future career. It presented an opportunity to network and build relationships with students and faculty members," said Fleming.
For Fleming, leading the RMSA as President and establishing this new award to support fellow students is about giving back to her alma mater and supporting rehabilitation careers.
"What stands out to me about the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine is more than just producing the best students, or producing the best research. It's the combination of it all-using research to inform teaching and clinical practices and using clinical practices to ask new questions. It's producing professionals who can provide the best service to their clients," said Fleming. "They prepare you to handle the ever-changing field, embrace new ideas and address challenges."
The RMSA hosted a Kick-off Event on September 6, 2017 to welcome students to the Faculty.
For more information and to apply for the RMSA Award, visit ualberta.ca/rehabilitation/about-us/student-resources/financial-resources/scholarships-awards-bursaries.