The Medical Student Council Executive Board, which serves as the direct liaison between the statewide medical student body at IU School of Medicine and the office of Medical Student Education (MSE), recently welcomed new members for their one-year terms. We talked to each of them about why they joined MSC and what they’d like to see implemented.
David Gunderman, President, MS3
Q: Why do you want to be a part of the Medical Student Council, and why is it important? Why should it be important to other students?
A: I joined the MSC to advocate for my peers and enhance MSC's effectiveness in addressing student concerns, thereby improving our academic and social environment. The MSC is vital for students as it provides a platform to voice concerns, influence policies, and ensure student views are recognized and prioritized at IU School of Medicine. With nine campuses and the largest student body of any US medical school, the MSC plays an essential role in student body organization and communication.
Q: Do you have any ideas you want to see implemented by MSC?
A: I aim to refocus MSC meetings on collaborative problem-solving with direct input from decision-makers to improve policy transparency and responsiveness. I plan to increase MSC's visibility and student engagement through improved bilateral communication, including town halls, social media takeovers, and student body polls. Additionally, I will amplify student advocacy on specific issues, such as OSCE feedback, time-away policies, DEI, student affairs funding, and campus comparability.
Molly Beatty, VP of Committee Affairs, MS3
Pursuing a residency in diagnostic radiology with an interest in interventional radiology.
Q: Why do you want to be a part of the Medical Student Council, and why is it important? Why should it be important to other students?
A: My interest in becoming a part of the Medical Student Council stems from my interest in advocacy for my classmates and the surrounding community. The students at IU School of Medicine can impact our medical school's curriculum and policies, and I am very excited to be a part of that this coming year. My intent in this role is to help other students see MSC as an outlet in which they can promote change.
Q: Do you have any ideas you want to see implemented by MSC?
A: My goal this year on MSC is to ensure we continue to pursue diversity of experience and thought from and for our students so that we can best serve communities now and as future physicians.
Whitney Brown, VP of Finance, MS3
Pursuing a career in neurosurgery.
Q: Why do you want to be a part of the Medical Student Council, and why is it important? Why should it be important to other students?
A:It is important for students at all academic institutions to have an open and healthy relationship with their administration. That is what inspired me to join the Medical Student Council during my first year and continue my involvement through different roles over the years.
Q: Do you have any ideas you want to see implemented by MSC?
A: Our current executive board has a vision to incorporate all students at IU School of Medicine into our administrative advocacy work, and I cannot wait to see all we accomplish together!
Quen Deckbar, VP of Statewide Affairs, MS3
Interested in general surgery.
Q: Why do you want to be a part of the Medical Student Council, and why is it important? Why should it be important to other students?
A: I’ve always liked leadership positions growing up. I was in Boy Scouts, and as an undergrad, I was president of my fraternity. I came into med school and ran for class representative because I like to have my finger on the pulse of things. The next opportunity came up in student council meetings; there were general body exec board elections, so the next step was to do that. It is a nice place for students to have peer-to-peer discussions. As someone who has worked on things from a student and an exec board perspective, I believe the deans might lend an ear closer to an exec board decision because they know it’s been discussed with us. We filter out decisions to them through our monthly dean meetings.
Q: Do you have any ideas you want to see implemented by MSC?
A: I would love to see professional development opportunities expand at regional campuses. I’m working with Dr. Rusk and Morgan Lain to get residency directors to give monthly talks about their programs. It would work like a happy hour where you can talk to them.
Elsie Gasaway, VP of Curriculum, MS3
Interested in Neurology.
Q: Why do you want to be a part of the Medical Student Council, and why is it important? Why should it be important to other students?
A: I joined MSC to ensure that all student voices are heard. Student advocacy is necessary to create a supportive community and promote institutional improvement. Through my involvement, I hope to actively contribute to improvements in the curriculum, opportunities, and overall environment at IU School of Medicine.
Q: Do you have any ideas they want to see implemented by MSC?
A: I encourage all students to get involved with MSC, as it provides the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the medical school experience.
Morgan Lain, VP of Service, MS3
Interested in family medicine.
Q: Why do you want to be a part of the Medical Student Council, and why is it important? Why should it be important to other students?
A: I want to be a part of MSC because it allows me to advocate for my peers and find creative ways to incorporate service learning into the School’s culture and curriculum. It should be important to other students because it is an excellent opportunity to learn about and grow the attributes of effective leadership. It is also an exciting opportunity to develop skills necessary as future physicians while impacting our school.
Q: Do you have any ideas you want to see implemented by MSC?
A: Through working on MSC, I hope to continue to find ways to incorporate service-learning into the curriculum to help develop future physicians who understand the value of serving and caring for others, even when that is done outside of the operating room or clinic. I am also working with other members of MSC to increase opportunities for professional development in students by establishing regular Zoom sessions with physicians from various specialties to increase exposure to different fields of medicine and different residency programs.
Nicole Bianca Libiran, VP of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, MS3
Interested in cardiothoracic anesthesiology.
Q: Why do you want to be a part of the Medical Student Council, and why is it important? Why should it be important to other students?
A: As the Vice President of DEI in the Medical Student Council, I aim to take part in important conversations surrounding changes in programs, retention efforts, and definitions of sex and gender in medical student lectures. I serve as the DEI representative for my peers, advocating for inclusive terminology, retention of underrepresented students in medicine, and development of learning environments free from bias and microaggressions. Furthermore, I organized a large, speaker-led talk entitled “Anti-DEI Efforts in Legislation: What Can We Do as Medical Students?” which served not only as an informative lecture, but also as a safe space for dialogue, discussion, and solidarity in this apprehensive climate. I am committed to fostering constructive conversations with faculty, championing my peers, and contributing to meaningful change in medical education.
Q: Do you have any ideas you want to see implemented by MSC?
A: During my time with MSC, I aspire to advocate for improved resources for away rotations, foster dialogue on the future of DEI in today’s political climate, and promote transparency in hiring, admissions, and departmental policies.
Manav Patel, VP of Leadership, MS3
Interested in CT, neurosurgery, and general surgery.
Q: Why do you want to be a part of the Medical Student Council, and why is it important? Why should it be important to other students?
A: MSC is a great platform that offers students the opportunity to improve their education in multiple ways. However, I ran for VP of Leadership because leadership is often overlooked and undervalued. My goal is to increase opportunities for leadership development for all medical students and educate them regarding the importance of becoming leaders and how you can be leaders at all levels of the hierarchy in medicine. Healthcare and medicine are rapidly evolving, and we, as future physicians, must lead the development of better care and treatment for our patients. This won't happen overnight, so taking steps to learn and build a stable foundation right now will pay dividends to all students in the future.
Q: Do you have any ideas you want to see implemented by MSC?
A: I plan to collaborate with the alum board to increase leadership opportunities and networking opportunities. I will also introduce workshops to leadership events to give students more examples and practice opportunities to improve their leadership skills.
Mackenzie Schaff, VP of Wellness, MS3
Interested in pediatrics and working in the NICU.
Q: Why do you want to be a part of the Medical Student Council, and why is it important? Why should it be important to other students?
A: As VP of Wellness for the MSC, my goal is to advocate for prioritizing the eight dimensions of wellness, helping students establish strong habits that will carry them throughout their medical careers. Having served on the Wellness Coalition, I’ve seen firsthand how crucial it is to address all aspects of wellness—physical, mental, emotional, social, intellectual, environmental, financial, and spiritual—to foster long-term well-being. Medical school is undoubtedly a demanding journey. I’m committed to ensuring students have the support and resources to balance their studies and personal wellness. By bringing this focus to the Student Council Executive, I hope to amplify student voices and create an environment where every individual has the opportunity to thrive.
Q: Do you have any ideas you want to see implemented by MSC?
A: I hope to help the MSC plan more statewide wellness activities that are easy and beneficial for regional campuses to engage in.
Vitoria Simas, VP of Communications, MS2
Interested in endocrinology and OB-GYN.
Q: Why do you want to be a part of the Medical Student Council, and why is it important? Why should it be important to other students?
A: A member of MSC provides opportunities to impact policies, events, and initiatives that promote well-being and success for the entire IU School of Medicine student body. It is so fulfilling to advocate for my peers and contribute to creating a supportive and enriching environment here.
Q: Do you have any ideas they want to see implemented by MSC?
A: As VP of Communications, I aim to streamline communication between MSC, IU School of Medicine students, and faculty. Ongoing projects include establishing an MSC presence in the MD Student News email newsletters, clarifying the role of MSC, committees, and SIGs to MS1s in particular, and promoting feedback channels where students can voice concerns, ideas, or requests to MSC.
