Alphabet Soup
To help you understand the native tongue . . .
| AAMC | Association of American Medical Colleges - it is just that, and contains many component groups representing various constituencies including, e.g., OSR |
| AMSA | American Medical Student Association. |
| AMWA | American Medical Women's Association. |
| AOA | Alpha Omega Alpha. |
| AP | Area Postrema. See description. |
| APAMSA | Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association. |
| BRB | Bressler Research Building - where, along with MSTF, most of the daytime (and many evening) hours of the basic science years are spent |
| CAM | Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Teaching in this area is done within the Center for Integrative Medicine. (CIM) |
| CAPP | Combined Accelerated Program in Psychiatry - see description. |
| CCC | Curriculum Coordinating Committee - see description. |
| CIM | Center for Integrative Medicine |
| CLC | Computer Learning Center |
| CMDS | Christian Medical and Dental Society |
| CV | Curriculum Vitae |
| ED | Emergency Department - located on the west side of UMH on Redwood Street. |
| ERAS | Electronic Residency Application Service |
| FMG | Foreign medical graduate (also known as IMG or International medical graduate) |
| FT | Full-time - often misunderstood on forms being filled out in OSMA |
| HDID | Host Defense/Infectious Disease (a 2nd year course) |
| HH | Howard Hall - connected to HSF and BRB on the Redwood Street side. |
| HIPAA | Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act |
| HSF | Health Science Facility - between HH and MSTF |
| HSF II | Health Science Facility II – located on the corner of Lombard and Penn Streets |
| HS/HSL | Health Sciences/Human Services Library - located on the southwest corner of Greene and Lombard Streets |
| ICM | Introduction to Clinical Medicine - see description. |
| ICU | Intensive Care Unit - of which there are many located throughout UMMS |
| IMG | International medical graduate |
| LCME | Liaison Committee on Medical Education, accrediting body for U.S. medical schools |
| LOA | Leave of absence - which, if one should become necessary, can be requested through OSA |
| LRC | Laptop Resource Center |
| MICU | Medical ICU |
| MPRC | Maryland Psychiatric Research Center - a research component of the Department of Psychiatry, located on the Spring Grove Hospital campus in Catonsville |
| MSPE | Medical Student Performance Evaluation |
| MS | Medical Student, typically followed by a Roman numeral denoting the year, e.g. MS I |
| MSTF | Medical School Teaching Facility, where along with BRB, most of the daytime (and many evening) hours of the first two years are spent |
| NBME | National Board of Medical Examiners - organization that sponsors the USMLE, also known as Boards |
| NRMP | National Residents Matching Program - the organization through which Senior students typically apply for residency positions - "matches" students to residencies based on the respective rankings of student programs. |
| OME | Office of Medical Education - see description. |
| OR | Operating Room - many of which are found throughout UMMS |
| OSA | Office of Student Affairs - see description. |
| OSCE | Objective Structured Clinical Examination, taken in the Senior year and required for graduation. |
| OSR | Organization of Student Representatives - a component of AAMC. Also, Office of Student Research. |
| OT | Occupational Therapist |
| PAC | Pediatric Ambulatory Center - located on Penn Street - a clinical pediatric training site |
| PBL | Problem-based learning |
| PCU | Progressive Care Unit (Cardiology) |
| PD | Physical Diagnosis - a part of the second year ICM course |
| PGY | Post Graduate Year - Residents in various fields are referred to by this designation and the year of training; e.g., PGYI |
| PICU | Pediatric ICU |
| PT | Physical Therapy - physical therapist - part-time |
| SICU | Surgical ICU |
| SNB | School of Nursing Building - SE corner of Penn and Lombard Streets |
| SNMA | Student National Medical Association |
| SSEP | Second Summer Education Program |
| SSW | School of Social Work - located on Redwood Street just east of UMH |
| STRTP | Short Term Research Training Program - see description. |
| SUB-I | A required four-week Senior rotation in which the student gets to function as an intern - see description. |
| TLH | Taylor Lecture Hall – located on the lobby level of the Bressler Research Building |
| UMB | University of Maryland Baltimore - the professional schools campus of the University of Maryland System, which includes the School of Medicine |
| UMBC | University of Maryland Baltimore County - located in Catonsville, just SW of Baltimore - UMBC's Graduate School is combined with UMB's |
| UMCC | University of Maryland Cancer Center - a component of UMMS, and the service arm of the School's Program of Oncology, formally known as the Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center |
| UMCP | University of Maryland College Park - located in the Washington, D.C. suburbs |
| UMH | University of Maryland Hospital - aka University, a component of UMMS |
| UMMS | University of Maryland Medical System, composed of UMH, UMCC, R.A. Cowley Shock Trauma Center |
| UMPB | University of Maryland Professional Building, 419 W. Redwood St., where many members of the clinical faculty conduct their private practices |
| USGA | Campus-wide student government association |
| USMLE | United States Medical Licensing Examination, also known as Boards |
| VAH, VA | Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center, adjacent to UMMS, where all students do some of & SPA their clinical training. |
| VAL | Veteran's Affairs Library, located on the second floor of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center |
| WPCC | Walter P. Carter Center - located on Fayette Street adjacent to UMAB - The Center offers inpatient and outpatient services - affiliated with the School of Medicine's Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics. |
Last Revision: August 12, 2008