Liverpool Medical Students Society
 | |
| Motto | "We Labour Not for Ourselves" |
|---|---|
| Institution | University of Liverpool |
| Location | Victoria Building, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, England, United Kingdom |
| Established | 1874 |
| President | Andrew Fitzsimons |
| General secretary | Sophie Dodd |
| Treasurer | James Chapman |
| Members | ≈1000 |
| Affiliations | LGoS |
| Honorary Life President | Mr. Ron Templeton |
| Website | www.lmssonline.co.uk |
The Liverpool Medical Students Society (LMSS) is the Medsoc of the University of Liverpool School of Medicine. The mission of the society is to represent and care for the students of the School of Medicine of the University of Liverpool.[1] It has an affiliation with, but is independent of, the Liverpool Guild of Students. The Society's weekly Thursday meetings are held in the Grade II-listed Victoria Building. The Society's principal roles include the educational, pastoral, social and extracurricular needs of the Liverpool medical students and to represent the students' voice to the staff of the School of Medicine.[1]
History
The LMSS is the longest-running students society at the University of Liverpool. It was founded over 130 years ago and pre-dates the University itself.[2] It was originally called the "Liverpool Royal Infirmary School of Medicine Debating Society" in 1874.[3]
The original society was a male only entity, and often debated such things as whether females should be admitted into the medical school. The society finally decided to admit female medical students in 1905, and the first female doctor to graduate from Liverpool was Phoebe Powell in 1910. The society's name was changed to the "LMSS" in 1943 and shows how the society was being recognised as doing far more than merely debating, including fundraising and social events.[3]
The society is known for its infamous "Jack Leggate" song and its Annual Smoking Concert which started in the 1880s.[1][3]
Committee
The Society is run primarily by three officers, the President, Treasurer and Secretary. Towards the end of each year the society holds its annual Hustings, where candidates are put forward for the three major student positions of the society. The full society have two full weeks to vote for candidates between Hustings and AGM. A full committee is chosen at the Annual General Meeting, they cover a portfolio of areas including entertainment & socials, charities, welfare, clubs & societies, the Annual Smoking concert and the Annual Medical Ball. The society often attends and holds events of public interest, such as lectures about the privatisation of the National Health Service (NHS), and has many notable guest speakers.[4] The President is the primary representative for the Society.[1]
From 2013 the LMSS shall have an Honorary Life President, of which there shall be only one in existence at any one time and it shall be held for life. On the death of an honorary life president, the current committee shall meet in strict confidence and elect a successor. A two-thirds supermajority vote of the committee is required, and also requires acceptance from the person elected. The inaugural holder of the office is Mr. Ron Templeton.[1]
2014 'Smoker' controversy
On 10 November 2014 the online feminist magazine The Vagenda tweeted a screenshot which apparently showed a proposed script for the Annual Smoking Concert which had been circulated amongst fourth year medical students.[5] The explicit content sparked claims that students responsible were misogynistic and that the concert itself was contributing to a "Lad culture" at the university.[6] The Mirror Online highlighted the explicit lyrics of the LMSS's "Jack Leggate song", stating;
"The society is also known for singing an explicit song at society events which includes the line “we like those girls who say they won't but look as though they might”"[7]
The university and Liverpool Guild of Students subsequently released a statement condeming the content and promising an internal enquiry into the materials for the production.[8]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "LMSS Online". Liverpool Medical Students Society.
- ↑ Kelly, Thomas (1981). For advancement of learning: the University of Liverpool, 1881-1981. Liverpool University Press. p. 560. ISBN 0853233047.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Review of the LMSS
- ↑ LMSS at LGoS
- ↑ https://twitter.com/VagendaMagazine/status/531781616310693889
- ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-30002647
- ↑ http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/liverpool-university-medical-school-centre-4605167
- ↑ http://www.liverpoolguild.org/articles/our-response-to-liverpool-medical-studentsociety-performance-materials