SMSS Spring Elections Round B 2016/17 Candidate Statements
Treasurer
(1) Jared Galloway
My name is Jared Galloway and I am a first year medical student running for the position
of Treasurer. This is an opportunity for me to represent the interests of the students as well as get
involved with the Saskatchewan Student Medical Society (SSMS) by ensuring that the finances
are looked after properly.
The position of Treasurer requires that you keep track of all the finances for the SMSS
which includes reviewing funding requests, recording them, and reimbursing money. During my
summers in undergrad I worked for a company in which my duties included receiving payments,
bank deposits, working with others, and paying expenses. Through this role I learned excellent
organizational skills as well as cash receipts experience which will be an asset for the position of
Treasurer.
I have a background in accounting with a minor in Commerce. I also took an Accounting
diploma for one year. My background in accounting provides me with the professional
knowledge as well as an understanding of the financial requirements of the position of Treasurer.
It will also allow me the opportunity to improve some areas if required. This will be beneficial as
there will be some changes to how the finances are managed this upcoming year and having a
background and knowledge in the area will help, should any issues arise.
My goal is to be a great representative for my colleagues and to determine that the
finances of the SMSS are properly accounted for. I feel that my previous employment
experience and my background in accounting will allow me to fulfill the role of Treasurer and
help me succeed in the position.
Regina-Saskatoon Liaison
1. Simon Huang
My name is Simon Huang and I would like to run for the position of Regina-Saskatoon Liaison
for the Student Medical Society of Saskatchewan (SMSS). I am excited about this position since
it would allow me to represent and advocate for the Regina campus, to ensure we receive
equivalent opportunities to our Saskatoon peers. I am also attracted to the prospect of working
with the other SMSS members to make the Regina experience as smooth as possible. I believe that
I am qualified for this position, given my previous volunteer work and extracurricular experiences.
During my undergraduate studies, I served as an Academic Peer Helper for the Centre for Student
Development (CSD) at McMaster University. In this role, I helped newly enrolled and mature
students adjust to the university workload. I also participated in weekly meetings with other Peer
Helpers and held presentations in first year class rooms to promote the CSD and the services it
offered for students. In addition to this, I also worked as a club coordinator for the Visions of
Science program, where I was responsible for planning and running experiments for students in
low income neighborhoods.
Currently, I am the treasurer for the Anesthesiology Interest Group, where I am responsible for
authorizing and cataloguing all expenditures. I am also an acting member of the ISA StudentFaculty Relations Subgroup involved in developing the student survey for accreditation purposes.
I believe that these experiences have developed my organizational and communication skills, as
well as highlight my accountability and ability to work with others. For these reasons, I am
confident that I would be a successful Regina-Saskatoon Liaison if elected. I hope that I will have
the privilege of working on your behalf in the upcoming school year. Thank you for your time and
consideration.
Student Groups Coordinator
(1) Katie Elliot
Tansi! My name is Kate Elliott. I am running for the position of Student Groups Coordinator on
the Student Medical Society of Saskatchewan. I have the necessary experience and passion to
ensure that SMSS is well represented within the community and on the larger scale. Prior to
commencing medical school, I was provincially elected as the Minister of Youth and Sport for
Metis Nation of British Columbia. In this role I sat on the executive of the board of directors for
Metis Nation of British Columbia which represents 70,000 Metis people in British Columbia.
This role had two primary components, governance and advocacy. I understand of the
responsibility of representing a group of people rather than myself. In addition to provincial
governance, I also was involved with Metis self-governance on an national level. I worked
closely with the provincial and federal government ensuring that Metis youth were represented in
policies and decision that impacted them. During this experience I strengthened my
communication skills and decision-making skills. Internally my ministry had an annual budget of
$500,000 annually, which was obtained by funding proposals and used for programming and
service delivery in the communities. I have strong planning, excitation, and evaluation skills that
would be an asset to SMSS.
Student Services Representative
(1) Daniel Asare-Boamah
Hi my name is Daniel Asare-Boamah, I am a first year medical student and I’m running for the
position of Student Service Representative. Over the past few months of being in this college, I
have learnt a lot more about wellness from my colleagues and mentors than I ever had in the
past. I’m hoping to get more involved in this College and give back to student body so I believe
this position would be a great fit for me since I would be dealing with issues that I am passionate
about. In addition to my other roles, it would be a pleasure to serve as the chair of Wellness
Advocacy Committee and I would do my best promote wellness issues and the interests of the
SMSS members to best of my abilities. Thank you.
(2) Ava Menezes
My name is Ava Menezes, I am a first-year medical student at the U of S, and I hope you will
consider me for the 2016-2017 SMSS Student Services Representative. After reviewing the roles
and expectations of this position and discussing it further with the current Student Services Rep
(Jordan Anderson), I am confident that I have what it takes to fill these shoes.
I am a strong advocate for student wellness. Having experienced burnout in the past, I have been
very mindful of the vulnerability of one’s mental well-being when subject to significant stress.
This prompted me to get involved in student wellness initiatives; this year, that took the form of
being on the SMSS Saskatoon Wellness Subcommittee, where I organized the Wellness Skating
Night in Saskatoon, and I helped Jordan with the mental health coffee night during wellness
month.
As former Aquatics Manager for my hometown pool, I am very competent in budgeting
expenses, planning meetings, and organizing events. As an advocate for the interests and needs
of the students, I will continue to be highly receptive to the concerns of my peers. To keep in
touch with those outside my academic cohort, I would turn to the feedback collected from classrepresentatives that sit on the Wellness Subcommittees in Saskatoon and Regina – just as Jordan
has done in contacting myself and the other two first-year representatives of the Saskatoon
subcommittee. My professionalism, reliability, and interest has earned me the recent appointment
to first-year rep of the Pediatric Undergraduate Medical Education Committee. I believe these
personal traits quality me to represent the University of Saskatchewan on the CFMS Wellness
Committee as well.
I am excited to potentially continue the great work Jordan has done for medical student wellness.
Thank you for considering me for 2016-2017 SMSS Student Services Representative.
Social Director Regina
1. Michael Schinold
My name is Michael Schinold, and I am currently a first year medical student applying to
be the SMSS Regina social director. I believe that I am qualified for this position as I will be in
Regina next year, and I have watched the experience Regina video at least twice. I have decided
to apply for this role because I really enjoy the social events put on in the past and would like to
keep that tradition of fun, successful events carried forward into the future (The Regina Bonspiel
was a Blast!!!).
My more relevant experiences include having also previously served as a social director
for a student group here at the U of S, for the Microbiology and Immunology Student
Association (MISA). My duties there included planning and organizing events though booking
venues, organizing volunteers, getting supplies, and working at said events. I was personally
involved in planning multiple events in different capacities such as the MISA graduation
banquet, meet the prof’s and trivia nights, as well as large scale parties. Moreover, I think that I
possess the social skills, and creativity to keep the staple social events in Regina fresh and fun, as
well as being imaginative enough to think to the future and plan new social events. I also think I
can trick enough people into coming to events to make them worthwhile.
Also I am a firm believer in slip and slides and would like to see more of those at future
college events. Thank you for your consideration.
2. Shonah Runalls
My name is Shonah Runalls and I am running for Regina Social Director. I am running
for this position because I view it as a wonderful opportunity to get involved in the College of
Medicine, to continue to help improve the experiences of our students, and to plan awesome
events for the Regina campus. I have been involved in event planning as part of past student
council positions. As a class representative and Grad Committee Chair in the College of
Kinesiology, I worked with my colleagues to coordinate events and plan fundraisers. As Grad
Chair I ran meetings, communicated with venues, created advertisements, and coordinated
sponsorships. These experiences have prepared me to be an excellent communicator, very
organized, and a thorough planner. With these qualities I am confident in my ability to
successfully coordinate social events, such as Integration Weekend, along with the VP and Class
representative in Regina, as well as help out with any events in Saskatoon. My goal is for
everyone to get the most out of their medical school experience, and fun, successful events are a
huge part of a well rounded school experience! Thank you for considering me for the position of
Regina Social Director, I am excited for the opportunity to put my skills to use on your behalf.
Social Director Saskatoon:
(1) Megan McDonald
My name is Megan McDonald and I am applying for the position of SMSS Social Director
(Saskatoon) in the 2016-2017 year. I am interested in this position because I would like a chance
to be more actively involved in the SMSS, to take part in organizing events that foster
community in the College of Medicine, and to plan events that allow us to blow off some much
needed steam as busy and often stressed out students. I think I would make an excellent choice
for the position of Social Director given my experiences serving on the Biochemistry Students’
Association Executive 2013-2014 as the “social director.” In this role, I organized the graduation
banquet for the class of 2014, as well as various social activities for students, staff, and faculty of
the department (beer nights, fundraisers, etc.). This year I volunteered in a less official capacity
by organizing the mock OSCE potluck, and advertising/media for the Charity Date Auction, but I
would appreciate the opportunity to get more involved in the planning and advertisement of
social events. Not only do I think that social events foster a sense of community in the College of
Medicine between students, faculty, and staff, I also can appreciate that this role is vital in
maintaining the connection between the Saskatoon and Regina campuses. I look forward to the
opportunity to work with the Regina Social Director to maintain a close relationship between
both campuses through cooperatively organized social events.