Are you interested in being involved in Medical Genetics academic and social activities? Join the MGGSA for an opportunity to develop your soft skills and network! In this upcoming year we have four open positions (for more details on each position see the bottom of this page):
- Junior Chair of September Welcome
- Junior Chair of Research Day
- Events Chair
- 2-3 Genetic Counselling Representatives
If you are interested in applying, send an email to us (medg.gsa@ubc.ca) with the following included:
- Your full name, graduate program, year of study, and the name of your research supervisor(s)
- A one-page curriculum vitae
- The MGGSA position(s) that you would like to apply for (if multiple, rank your choices, with 1 being your most favoured role). You can ask to be considered for up to three positions.
- The reason for your interest in each position you are applying for and a brief (two sentence) statement of your experience relevant to each sought-after position.
The deadline for applications is Friday, January 19th, 2024. If there are multiple people interested in the same role, the MGGSA will circulate an electronic election form with the candidates’ statements on January 22nd. The results of an eventual election will be posted on a January 26th.
All MGGSA executive committee members are required to attend monthly meetings (these generally take place weekdays 4 or 5PM, virtually). Positions require a minimum 2 year commitment with the exception of genetic counselling representatives which require a minimum 1 year commitment. There is a possibility of switching to a new role after 1 year depending on position availability.
As a reminder, the goal of the MGGSA is to improve the community and sense of belonging in our department, achieved through regular social activities. If you would like the opportunity to help improve the association, coordinate fun and informative events, and have the opportunity to network well with the department, please consider applying!
DETAILS ON AVAILABLE POSITIONS:
JUNIOR CHAIR OF SEPTEMBER WELCOME
The MGGSA is seeking highly motivated applicants for a 2-year leadership role in organizing the
2024-2025 Medical Genetics September Welcome events. In the first year, the successful applicant will work under the guidance of the current Senior September Welcome Chair and learn about the duties of the position prior to the 2024 event. In their second year, the applicant (now Senior Chair of September Welcome) will then be largely responsible for planning and implementing the event to be held in 2025, as well as training a new applicant as the next Junior Chair of September Welcome.
Your Responsibilities:
- Plan the entirety of September Welcome and ensure its efficient execution
- Provide guidance throughout the planning process
- Planning and organizing the networking fair (including recruiting ‘panelists’ for the fair)
- Contacting speakers for the keynote talks
- Working with the Director of Finances to create a budget
- Communicating all progress and plans to the program coordinators (Dr. Stefan Taubert
and Azin Zeinali) - Coordinating room bookings, and organizing catering
- The Junior Chair is also expected to recruit current MEDG students to form a volunteer
committee to delegate the above tasks - As the Senior Chair in the second year, responsibilities will entail training and working
with the next Junior Chair of September Welcome.
Application requirements include:
- Enrolment in a Medical Genetics graduate program (MSc in MEDG or GECN, or PhD)
- Strong communication and organizational skills
- Prior experience in event planning is strongly encouraged
JUNIOR CHAIR OF RESEARCH DAY
The MGGSA is seeking highly motivated applicants for a 2-year leadership role in organizing 2024
Medical Genetics Research Day event. In the first year, the successful applicant will work under the guidance of the current Senior Research Day Chair and learn about the duties of the position prior to the 2024 event. In their second year, the applicant (now Senior Chair of Research day) will then be largely responsible for planning and implementing the event to be held in 2025, as well as training a new applicant as the next Junior Chair of Research Day.
Your Responsibilities:
- Support the Senior Research Day Chair in planning for Research Day 2024 (Year 1).
- Provide input on catering, speaker invitations, sponsor partnerships
- Coordinate the poster presentation competition
- Assist in liasing with the department’s administration team
- Assist the MGGSA with executing other events throughout the course of your tenure
(September welcome, beach day, Gala, social events)
Application requirements include:
- Enrolment in a Medical Genetics graduate program (MSc, PhD or GC)
- Excellent communication skills
- Excellent organizational skills
- Prior experience working with a student society or in a similar leadership role is strongly encouraged
EVENTS CHAIR
The MGGSA is seeking highly motivated applicants for a leadership role in organizing regular social events for Medical Genetics students in 2024.
Your Responsibilities:
- Coordinate with the MGGSA Executive Committee to plan a minimum of four social events throughout 2024
- Planning and organizing social events to facilitate connections between students in the
Department of Medical Genetics. Examples include:
▪ Trivia or board game nights, movie nights
▪ Picnics, hikes, and other outdoor activities
▪ Outings to restaurants, cafes, etc.
▪ May include collaborations with other students groups
- Events should include at a minimum: monthly or bi-monthly events in months when a
major MGGSA event (e.g. September Welcome or Research Day) is not scheduled
▪ Create a budget for each event and submit to relevant funding sources, e.g. the GSS
▪ Communicating event details to Azin Zeinali for inclusion in the Friday email
▪ Coordinating room bookings, and organizing catering when relevant
▪ Communicating needs to the MGGSA Executive Committee and delegating tasks when
appropriate
▪ Circulating feedback forms and other surveys to ensure events are inclusive of all
interested MGGSA members
Application Requirements include:
- Enrolment in a Medical Genetics graduate program (MSc in MEDG or GECN, or PhD)
- Strong communication and organizational skills
- Prior experience in event planning is appreciated but not required
GENETIC COUNSELLING REPRESENTATIVES
The MGGSA is seeking 2-3 highly motivated applicants for a 1-year leadership role acting within the 2024 MGGSA executive committee as a liaison between students in the GECN program and the MGGSA.
Your Responsibilities:
- Coordinate with the MGGSA Executive Committee to help ensure that events and initiatives are inclusive of GECN students
- Attending MGGSA monthly meetings whenever possible
- Engage with the MGGSA Slack group when possible
- Share information about GECN class schedules, approximate practicum dates, etc. with
the MGGSA when needed, and share input on MGGSA event planning when requested
Application requirements include:
- Enrolment in the Medical Genetics GECN graduate program
Medical Genetics Graduate Student Association 