Peril, Power, Progress: Navigating AANHPI Identity and Advocacy in the Public Space

Date: Saturday, October 5th, 2024, 9 AM-4 PM

Location: Drexel University College of Medicine (60 N 36th St, Philadelphia, PA 19104)

2024 Region _ Conference Booklet

Registration Details: Click below for more info

Registration and Tickets

APAMSA Region III and the APAMSA chapter at Drexel University College of Medicine are so excited to welcome you to this year’s Region III Conference! Our theme this year is “Peril, Power, Progress: Navigating AANHPI Identity and Advocacy in the Public Space.”

Location: Drexel University College of Medicine (60 N 36th St, Philadelphia, PA 19104)

Date: Saturday, October 5th, 2024

Time: 9 AM – 4 PM, with an optional post-conference social afterwards 

At our conference, we want to explore the intersection between medicine, political involvement and AANHPI identity, a theme that seems particularly timely during this election year. What does activism look like on the ground, working with local community stakeholders? How can we emphasize health equity and strive towards eliminating disparities in our future practices as health professionals? 

We hope this conference can be a space where we can form lasting connections with one another and be empowered to be a voice for change in our communities. Registration will include attendance to talks from a variety of wonderful speakers, networking opportunities, a space to present your research, workshops, lunch, and more!

Ticket Pricing:

Early bird tickets are $20 (until 9/28).
Regular pricing after 9/28 is $25

Saturday, October 5

Schedule subject to change!

8:30 – 9 AM: Pre-Registration

9 AM: Opening Statements/Intro

9:30 – 10:15 AM: Keynote

Break (10:15-10:30 AM)

10:30 – 11:30 AM: Breakout: Professional Development (choose one)

  • Session 1: Specialty Networking Session (Fireside Chat)
  • Session 2: Pre-Health Panel (Q&A)

11:30 AM- 12:30 PM: Lunch & Research Poster Session

12:45 PM:  Breakout Sessions

  • Skills Sessions (12:45-1:30 PM)
    • Session 1: Workshop-TBA
    • Session 2: Suture Workshop
    • Session 3: Advocacy by AMA 
  • Break (1:30-1:45)
  • Community Health Sessions (1:45-2:30)
    • Session 1: Mental Health: Mango Tree
    • Session 2: TBA
    • Session 3:  Kevin Rituzel (Community Health Clinic in K-Town LA)

2:30-2:45 PM: Hep B United

3 PM: Conference End

Stay tuned as we reveal more speakers!

Walter Tsou

Keynote Speaker

Walter Tsou, MD, MPH is a nationally known consultant on public health and health care reform.  He is a retired Adjunct Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Pennsylvania where he taught community health at their Center for Public Health Initiatives. He is a Past President of the American Public Health Association and former Health Commissioner of Philadelphia.  He was the founding Deputy Director for Personal Health Services and Medical Director of the Montgomery County (PA) Health Department from 1991-2000.  He has extensive experience in public health and has lectured widely on public health and health disparities.

Nationally, he is a Board Advisor at Physicians for a National Health Program and Healthcare-NOW.  He is Past Chair of the Board of the Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum.  Locally he is on the boards of Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania, Hepatitis B Foundation, Health Care for All Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia County Medical Society.  His medical degree is from the University of Pennsylvania; his MPH is from the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health, and he has an honorary Doctorate in Medical Sciences from Drexel University.

Resident Panel

Minh Than

Internal Medicine, Hematology-Oncology, University of Pennsylvania

Minh Than is a third-year Hematology-Oncology fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. He was born in Denver, Colorado. He studied molecular biology at the University of Colorado, Boulder before completing a combined MD/PhD at Yale University. He completed Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Pennsylvania. His current interests include basic and translational science for improving therapeutic strategies for solid malignancies. In his free time, he enjoys rock climbing, board games, and the Philly food scene.

Cecilia Jiang

Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania

Cecilia Jiang is a fifth-year radiation oncology resident at the University of Pennsylvania. She was born in Pittsburgh, PA and grew up in Edison, NJ. She studied biology at the University of Chicago and worked as a hospitalist scribe at Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ for a year after graduation. She then completed her medical degree at Emory University School of Medicine. Her clinical interests include radiation toxicity mitigation and imaging. In her free time, she enjoys visiting bakeries, used bookstores, and picnicking in the park.

Jason Han

Cardiac Surgery, University of Pennsylvania

Jason Han is currently a cardiac surgery resident at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He is in his 8th and last year of training and aspires to be an academic cardiac surgeon with a focus on humanism, education, and writing. He has been recognized for these efforts as the recipient of the Penn Pearl Teaching Award, the Donald Liu Hero of Humanism in Surgery Award, and the Fellowship at Auschwitz for the Study of Professional Ethics. As a medical student and resident, he wrote a monthly column for the Philadelphia Inquirer that combined personal experiences with deeper reflections on patient perspectives. He has written over 80 columns to-date and has been featured at various regional and national meetings such as the “Telling Your Health Story” and “Finding Your Voice” conferences. He has written extensively about his identity as a Korean American Immigrant, and how his background influences, and enhances his interactions with patients. In the academic sphere, his writing about surgical education and culture has been featured in journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Medical Association, and Annals of Surgery.

Sophia Dang

Head and Neck Oncologic and Microvascular Reconstructive Surgery, University of Pennsylvania
Hi, my name is Sophia!  I’m currently a fellow in head and neck oncologic and microvascular reconstructive surgery at UPenn.  In short, I cut out cancers of the head and neck and reconstruct the defects.  I did my ENT residency at University of Pittsburgh and went to medical school just down the street at Jefferson.  I grew up in Brooklyn, New York in a large and lively Asian and Latino community where storefronts were in Chinese, Spanish, or Hebrew and everyone spoke English as a second, third, or fourth language.  As the first in my family to go to college and beyond, there were a lot of firsts for my immigrant parents who are sometimes still wary of healthcare.  I went into medicine to help bridge this gap for people like my parents and those who struggle with health literacy.  It is very rewarding to build that trust with patients and help them understand their disease process so they can fully participate in their healthcare in an informed and empowered way.

Justin Ly

Orthopaedic Surgery, Temple University Hospital
Born in Philadelphia, PA. Attended the University of Pittsburgh with a major in United States History and a minor in chemistry. Took 3 gap years between undergraduate and medical school. 2 of them included doing clinical research for Temple’s Orthopaedics department and another doing a post-baccalaureate program. Obtained my MD for the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.  My subspeciality interest is Hand and Upper Extremity. Other clinical interests include medical student education and mentorship. Interests include visiting museums, working out, films, Philadelphia sports, trying new restaurants, and traveling

Alison Yu

Otorhinolaryngology, Rhinology and Skull Base Surgery, University of Pennsylvania
Hi everyone! I am Alison Yu and I am currently a fellow in rhinology and skull base surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. I was born in Shanghai and grew up in Ohio and Virginia. I moved to the west coast for my undergraduate and medical school training at the University of Southern California (USC). I also stayed at USC for my residency training in otolaryngology. I am interested in using current medical and surgical knowledge to improve the quality of life for patients with sinonasal problems.

Esha Jain

Family Medicine, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
Dr. Jain, a Canadian-born resident physician in family medicine, is currently pursuing her education through the Cooper/CMSRU Family Medicine Program. Expected to graduate in 2025, she holds a medical degree from the American University of Antigua. Throughout her residency, Dr. Jain has demonstrated exemplary leadership, having been elected as the resident trustee for the New Jersey Academy of Family Physicians, the state chapter of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). In this capacity, she fervently advocates for the advancement of family medicine within the state of New Jersey and recently was awarded the NJAFP president’s award.
In addition to her advocacy efforts, Dr. Jain has dedicated significant time to assisting international medical graduates in navigating the residency matching process. Serving as an ambassador for matcharesident, and other companies, she provides invaluable guidance and support to aspiring physicians. Maintaining a commitment to academic excellence, Dr. Jain has contributed to the medical literature through the publication of multiple journal articles. Furthermore, she actively mentors medical students, fostering their intellectual growth and scholarly pursuits.
Central to Dr. Jain’s professional ethos is her unwavering dedication to promoting equitable access to primary care. She espouses a patient-centered approach, characterized by empathy and compassion, in her clinical practice. Moreover, she is resolute in her mission to combat medical misinformation, recognizing its detrimental effects on patient health and well-being. Through her multifaceted contributions, she endeavors to enhance the health outcomes of her patients and their families while advancing the broader objectives of her profession.

Roy Wang

Internal Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
Roy is a current third-year Internal Medicine resident at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He is originally from Pittsburgh, PA and completed the 7-year BS/MD program through Penn State and Sidney Kimmel Medical College. Roy became interested in Internal Medicine given its cerebral nature and broad spectrum of disease processes. Through clinical and research experiences in medical school and residency, he became passionate about transplant hepatology and developed an interest in a career as a grant-funded researcher. Roy is currently applying for Gastroenterology fellowship and hopes to become a clinician-scientist in transplant hepatology,  investigating organ allocation policies and transplant outcomes. He also enjoys working with medical students and has served as instructor for several pre-clinical small group courses.

Nilanjan Haldar

Radiation Oncology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Hi, I am currently a PGY-4 and Assistant Chief Resident at Thomas Jefferson University Radiation Oncology. I went to TJUH for medical school, attending what is now the Sidney Kimmel Medical College. I am passionate about student and resident mentorship and education as well as wellness, and have worked with similarly motivated minds in the department to create unique programs and opportunities within our departmental curriculum. I intend to pursue academic medicine in the future, and enjoy engaging students with opportunities within the department.
Outside of residency, I enjoy reading and writing (for fun), weight lifting, boxing/ Jui-Jitsu, traveling, and exploring the unique experiences Philadelphia has to offer.

Pre-Health Panel

Sharon Kim

MSN Candidate, Johns Hopkins
Sharon Kim is born and raised in California who moved to the East Coast for Nursing School. She is currently at Johns Hopkins for her MSN and attended the University of La Verne for her undergraduate degree in Biology. During her gap years, she worked at Hyundai as an Executive Assistant to explore and see what else was out there outside of healthcare. She also has a non-profit called Through Love. where they help bring hope, healing and prayer to foster children in Tijuana, Mexico. Her passion lies in community outreach, and she hopes to work as a travel nurse in the future with non-profits. Currently, she is working as a Patient Care Technician in the Surgical ICU and Emergency Department and will be graduating Spring of 2025.

Address

Drexel University College of Medicine (60 N 36th St, Philadelphia, PA 19104)

Parking

The nearest parking lot is LOT G at 3330 Market Street. On weekends it is $14 per day starting at 5 AM. Evenings 10 p.m.-5 a.m.: additional $8 fee applies.

Directions into the parking lot:

Enter the Garage on Ludlow Street.

Please pull at ticket to enter Garage. Payment is required before exiting the Garage. To leave facility, please pay at kiosk in lobby or at kiosk at exit ramp inside your vehicle. You must exit within 15 minutes of payment. If you encounter any issues, please use the help button located on the payment kiosk

To pay:
  • Use your ticket and a credit card or cash at the first floor kiosk located in lobby, entrance off of Market Street
  • Use your ticket and a credit card at the exit gate
  • Text PAY to 321.341.2288 for one-time payment or to establish a secure profile

You can find more detailed information and FAQs regarding parking on Drexel’s website.

Accommodations

Drexel University School of Medicine is located in University City. There are some locations nearby, listed below, but we encourage you to reach out to local students for more affordable accommodations. There may also be more affordable options in Center City and other areas in Philadelphia if you are willing to travel.

Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel

3549 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104

Homewood Suites by Hilton University City Philadelphia, PA

4109 Walnut St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104

The Inn at Penn, a Hilton Hotel

3600 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104

We are excited to offer an opportunity for you to present any research that you have been involved in at our Region III conference this year.

We hope this can be a space where we can showcase and appreciate the amazing work everyone has been involved in. Abstracts presented at other conferences or published in journals can still be submitted for review. We welcome submission of all topics!

For more information and to submit an application, please click the link below.

Abstract Submission

National Board

Stephen Chien

Region III Director
Drexel University College of Medicine

Jeffrey Wang

Region III Director

Drexel University College of Medicine

Sandy Yang

Region III Director
Sidney Kimmel Medical College

Jessica Hseuh

Co-Membership VP

Georgetown University School of Medicine

Local Chapter Leadership: Drexel University College of Medicine APAMSA 

Lilly Phung

DUCOM APAMSA Co-President

Lucy Zhou

DUCOM APAMSA Co-President

Kevin Lim

DUCOM APAMSA Advocacy and Education Chair

Celter Odango

DUCOM Community Service Chair

Contact Us

Questions? Email us at region3@apamsa.org

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