The Graduate Student Organization (GSO) is an association of graduate students at Marshall University's Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine enrolled in the Biomedical Science (BMS) graduate program. The purpose of the GSO is to promote student interests and represent the views of the graduate students. The GSO has three elected officers. The President leads the monthly meetings. The Vice President attends the monthly Graduate Studies Committee (GSC) meetings and reports the issues discussed to the GSO. The GSC is comprised of faculty from the various different clusters that determines issues from classes offered to student admissions. The third elected office is the Secretary/Treasurer. As the name implies, the Secretary/Treasurer records information at the monthly meetings and is in charge of the finances of the GSO.
2009 - 2010 Officers
President - Mike Brown
Vice President - Aileen Marcelo
Secretary/ Treasurer - Anne Silvis
The monthly meetings address concerns of the students in regards to the program, classes, etc., as well as inform students of important upcoming events. The meeting times also serve as times for workshops dealing with issues important to the students like how to put together a poster presentation or how to write a CV. The GSO is not all business. The GSO also has a social aspect. The GSO hosts an annual picnic for the newly accepted, incoming graduate students. Often times, there is a party after classes are over in the summer. A group field trip, usually to Kings Island amusement park, is planned in the summer, so everyone can "get away from it all," and an annual Christmas party give students the oppurtunity to get together to have a good time.
All students enrolled in the Biomedical Science program as well as the Medical Science program are considered members of the GSO. Students in these programs are encouraged to attend and participate in the GSO meetings.