Senior Year of College: Final Checklist for Student Org Handoffs and Legacy

The worst legacy you can leave in your student org is a mystery.

By senior year, your leadership should operate on a clear timeline, not vague intentions. At this point, your responsibility is not just to finish strong – it is to make sure your organization functions better after you graduate than it did when you took over.

Below is a chronological, final-year checklist specifically for premed and pre–medical school preparation organizations (AMSA chapters, premed clubs, pre–health fraternities, mentoring groups, etc.). Follow the timing closely. The order matters.

(See also: Gap Year Roadmap for tips on staying active during your gap year.)

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August–September: Audit Your Leadership and Systems

At this point you should stop thinking like a student leader and start thinking like an incoming officer who knows nothing.

Weeks 1–2: Run a Brutal Organizational Audit

Before planning handoff, you must know what you are handing off.

Create a 2–3 page “State of the Org” snapshot:

• Mission and focus:
  • One sentence mission statement
  • Who you actually serve (premeds? general pre–health? early undergrads?)
• Core activities over the last year:
  • Shadowing programs
  • Suture workshops
  • MCAT/ premed application panels
  • Physician speaker series
  • Mentorship pairings
• Outcomes:
  • Average attendance at events (e.g., 40–50 at MCAT panel, 15 at weekly study group)
  • Number of active members
  • Partnerships (premed advising office, nearby hospital, Kaplan/Blueprint/Princeton Review, SNMA/LMSA, other orgs)
• Pain points:
  • Chronic low turnout for weekend events
  • Officers burning out mid-semester
  • Poor handoff from previous year (e.g., missing passwords, budget confusion)
  • Disorganized communication with premed advising office

Schedule 2 hours, sit with your current board, and fill this out.

This document becomes the backbone of every future handoff conversation.

Weeks 3–4: Map All Systems and Access

At this point you should make a master access inventory.

List, in one secure document:

• Email accounts:
  • Org Gmail / school email
  • Any alias addresses (e.g., premedclub@university.edu)
• Cloud storage:
  • Google Drive / OneDrive folders
  • Shared drives with event templates, flyers, slide decks
• Social media:
  • Instagram, GroupMe, Discord, Facebook page/group
  • Who currently has admin privileges
• Campus platforms:
  • Student org portal (for funding requests, event registration)
  • Room reservation systems
  • Volunteer portals (e.g., for hospital placements)
• Financial tools:
  • Org bank account (if external)
  • Student government funding platform
  • Venmo/PayPal/Stripe used for dues or shirt sales
• External partnerships:
  • Emails and names of:
    • Hospital volunteer coordinators
    • Physician speakers
    • MCAT company reps
    • Alumni mentors
    • Advisors (faculty and staff)

Turn this into a clear table with:

• System
• Purpose
• Who currently has access
• How new officers get access
• Any 2FA/backup phone issues

This prevents the classic “we lost the password and can not access our email” problem that kills many orgs.

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October–November: Design the Handoff Structure

At this point you should engineer your replacement, not wait for them to appear.

Early October: Build Role-Specific Playbooks

Every officer position must have a living document. Aim for 3–6 pages per role.

For each role (President, VP, Treasurer, Events Chair, Outreach, Mentorship Director, etc.), include:

1. Core responsibilities with timelines
   • President:
     • August: officer retreat, finalize calendar
     • September–November: 2 major events per month
     • January: new member recruitment push
     • February–March: election process
   • Events Chair:
     • 6–8 weeks before major event: secure speaker and date
     • 4 weeks before: reserve room, submit funding request
     • 2 weeks before: marketing push, send reminders to advising office
2. Annual cycle
   • Month-by-month checklist of what this officer must do
   • Note hard deadlines (e.g., “Funding request for fall conference due by September 10”)
3. Contacts and templates
   • Frequently emailed speakers, advisors, partners
   • Sample emails for:
     • Inviting physicians
     • Canceling an event professionally
     • Asking companies for sponsorship
4. Pitfalls
   • “Do not schedule events during Organic Chemistry evening exams”
   • “Reserve rooms before mid-September or everything fills”
   • “Respond to hospital volunteer coordinator within 24 hours; spots are competitive”

Store these in a clearly labeled “Officer Playbooks” folder in your shared drive.

Late October: Define Your Legacy Priorities

Not everything can or should be preserved.

Block 60–90 minutes and answer:

• What must continue next year?
  • Examples:
    • Annual “Application Bootcamp” with recent alumni
    • MCAT strategy panel each spring
    • Hospital volunteer orientation connection
• What can be simplified or dropped?
  • Inefficient projects you only kept out of habit
• What should be started but will not mature until after you graduate?
  • Peer advising program
  • Structured pipeline program for first-generation or URM premeds
  • Shared calendar of premed events with other campus orgs

Translate these into 3–5 “Legacy Goals” and write them plainly:

• “Maintain our MD and DO alumni panel every spring.”
• “Institutionalize mentorship for first-generation and URM premeds.”
• “Keep our partnership with County General Hospital alive and documented.”

These become non-negotiables you communicate repeatedly to incoming officers.

November: Coordinate with Advisors and Administration

At this point you should align your timeline with people who stay longer than students.

Schedule separate 30–45 minute meetings with:

1. Faculty/staff advisor

   • Share your “State of the Org” and Legacy Goals
   • Discuss:
     • Which events the advisor sees as most impactful for premed preparation
     • How they can support continuity (e.g., holding master contact lists, backing up key documents)
     • Concerns they have seen in previous transitions

2. Premed advising office (if not your advisor)

   • Clarify:
     • How your org fits into the broader premed ecosystem
     • Which of your events they promote strongly vs. ignore
     • What dates on their calendar are fixed (application workshops, fairs) that your org should plan around

Ask directly:
“If our officer team fell apart next year, what institutional memory could you preserve for us?”

Arrange for at least one stable, non-student person (advisor or staff) to have:

• Access to your main drive folder
• A copy of officer contact lists (current and incoming)
• Your legacy goals document

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December–January: Build the Handoff Infrastructure

At this point you should shift from ideas to artifacts.

Early December: Create a Central “Org Brain”

You want one digital home that a confused new president can open and understand in 15 minutes.

Create a main folder titled something like:
Premed Club – Master Handoff 2024–2025

Inside, include:

1. 00_READ_FIRST
   • 1–2 page overview:
     • Mission
     • Legacy Goals
     • Current year summary
     • Names and contacts of:
       • Outgoing officers
       • Advisors
       • Key partners
2. Officer Playbooks
   • One document per role, clearly labeled
3. Annual Calendar
   • A single-page visual calendar:
     • Recurring events by month
     • Funding deadlines
     • Recruitment windows
4. Event Templates
   • Slide decks
   • Email templates
   • Room reservation forms
   • Sign-in sheets
5. Finance and Funding
   • Budget from last 1–2 years
   • Sample funding request narratives that actually got approved
   • Instructions for reimbursements and purchasing
6. Partnerships
   • Contact list with notes (e.g., “Dr. Patel prefers Thursday evenings; confirm 2 months ahead”)

Grant access to:

• All current officers
• Advisor(s)
• Generic org email (not personal accounts)

Winter Break: Record Asynchronous Handoffs

At this point you should prepare materials that work even if someone cannot attend a live session.

Use simple tools:

• Zoom screen recording
• Loom, or similar

Record short (10–20 minute) videos:

1. President Overview
   • How meetings are run
   • How decisions are made
   • Typical semester flow
2. Treasurer Walkthrough
   • Step-by-step:
     • How to submit budget requests
     • How to pay speakers
     • How to reimburse students for supplies
3. Events Chair Workflow
   • Plan -> approve -> advertise -> execute -> debrief

Label each video clearly and store in the Master Handoff folder under “Video Guides.”

These recordings are priceless when people forget what they were told in live meetings, or if there is an unexpected mid-year officer change.

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February–March: Run Elections and Train Your Successors

At this point you should engineer a smooth leadership transfer using your institution’s rules and your org’s needs.

Early February: Clarify Roles and Eligibility

Before nominations open:

• Update your constitution/bylaws if:
  • You need clearer role descriptions
  • You want to add/remove positions (e.g., dedicated MCAT Chair, Mentorship Chair)
• Publish:
  • Role descriptions (pull from your Playbooks)
  • Eligibility requirements (e.g., minimum GPA, premed interest, class year)
  • Expected time commitment, in honest weekly hours

This prevents last-minute confusion and half-hearted candidates.

Mid–Late February: Elections Timeline

Create a precise schedule (and post it):

• Week 1:
  • Announce open positions and timeline
  • Share application or nomination form
• Week 2:
  • Candidate info session (explain responsibilities, answer questions)
  • Deadline for applications
• Week 3:
  • Candidate speeches/discussion at a general meeting
  • Voting window (24–72 hours via secure method)
• Week 4:
  • Publicly announce new officers
  • Immediately add them to:
    • Group chat
    • Email distribution lists
    • Shared drive (view-only at first if needed)

Protect your org's premed preparation mission by asking candidates explicitly:
“How will you support members’ path to medical school beyond just social events?”

March: Structured Shadowing Period

At this point you should avoid the “here are the keys, good luck” approach.

Plan a 4–6 week overlap where:

• New officers:
  • Attend all executive board meetings
  • Co-run at least:
    • One general body meeting
    • One major event (e.g., “How to Choose MCAT Resources” panel)
• Outgoing officers:
  • Intentionally step back:
    • Let new officers run slides, manage Q&A, communicate with speakers
    • Intervene only when strictly necessary

For each officer, create a small “shadowing checklist,” such as:

• President:
  • Lead one full e-board meeting with agenda you prepared
  • Communicate with advisor about one event
  • Handle one minor conflict or issue
• Treasurer:
  • Submit one funding request from start to finish
  • Process one reimbursement
  • Explain this year’s budget to the new board
• Events Chair:
  • Plan one event:
    • Contact speaker
    • Reserve room
    • Coordinate marketing
    • Run day-of logistics

This is where theory becomes practice.

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April: Formal Handoff and Risk Management

At this point you should lock in the transfer and reduce future risk.

Early April: Official Handoff Meeting

Schedule a 2–3 hour, in-person retreat with:

• All outgoing officers
• All incoming officers
• Advisor if possible

Agenda:

1. Overview (30 min)
   • State of the Org snapshot
   • Legacy Goals
   • Major wins and failures from the year
2. Role Breakouts (60–90 min)
   • Each outgoing officer meets with their successor
   • Walk through:
     • Role Playbook
     • Checklists and calendars
     • Key contacts and recurring tasks
3. Systems and Logins (30 min)
   • Transfer:
     • Admin rights for email and social media
     • Access to shared drives and campus portals
   • Update:
     • Account recovery phone numbers from personal to generic (or to advisor if required)
4. Expectations and Boundaries (15–20 min)
   • Outgoing officers clarify:
     • When they are available for questions next year (e.g., “Text me for the first 2 months, then email only”)
     • That incoming officers have full authority to adapt

Take attendance and document decisions in minutes stored in the Master Handoff folder.

Mid–April: Document Institutional Risks

Premed and pre–med school prep orgs often have specific vulnerabilities:

• Overreliance on one person for:
  • Hospital shadowing pipeline
  • Advisor relationship
  • Social media presence
• Sensitive relationships:
  • Volunteer coordinators who only want to deal with one student leader
  • Physicians offering shadowing to your members

Create a 1–2 page “Risk and Continuity” document:

• List each critical relationship or program
• Describe:
  • What happens if the contact leaves
  • How future boards should protect the relationship
• Example:
  • “County Hospital Shadowing Program – created via Dr. Nguyen. If he retires, new officers should ask premed advising office who now oversees undergrad volunteers, rather than cold-emailing random physicians.”

Store this in the Master Handoff folder and send a copy to your advisor.

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May–June: Seal Your Legacy and Step Back

At this point you should actively make yourself unnecessary.

Early May: Final Debrief and Reflection

Hold one last short meeting with incoming officers (60 minutes):

• Ask:
  • “What is still unclear?”
  • “Which resources do you wish were more detailed?”
• Clarify any remaining confusion
• Encourage them to:
  • Update Playbooks over the summer as they learn
  • Add to the Risk and Continuity document when new patterns emerge

Then send a concise “Farewell + Legacy” email to:

• Advisors
• Premed office
• Key partners

Include:

• Introduction of new president and board with contact info
• Summary of the year’s main initiatives
• Your 3–5 Legacy Goals as an explicit request:
  • “We hope future boards will maintain the annual Alumni Application Panel and first-gen mentorship track; please support them in sustaining these.”

Summer After Graduation: Light-Touch Availability

You are headed toward medical school or a gap year. Your time will shrink.

Set clear boundaries:

• First 2–3 months after handoff:
  • Respond to important questions from new officers within a few days
  • Decline to make decisions for them; answer by pointing to documents and principles
• After summer:
  • Suggest they cc the advisor and rely on established systems
  • Offer one check-in call early in the fall semester if needed, then encourage independence

Your legacy is not whether they “do everything like we did.”
Your legacy is whether the organization still helps premeds move toward medicine five years from now.

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Today: Your Immediate Next Step

Right now, before you do anything else, open a blank document and title it:

[Your Org Name] – State of the Org and Legacy Goals

Write three headings:

1. Where we are now
2. What must continue
3. What can change or end

Spend 30 minutes filling it in. This single document will anchor every other step of your senior-year handoff timeline.