Typhoon Mawar - Guam Disaster Relief
We are a group of medical students from Guam raising money for Typhoon Relief for our island community.
Guam, a gem nestled in the western Pacific Ocean, holds immense significance both historically and culturally. Known as “Where America’s Day Begins,” this stunning island community is a melting pot of Chamorro traditions and Western influences. With a rich history spanning centuries, Guam has captivated visitors with its breathtaking landscapes, pristine beaches, vibrant coral reefs, and lush tropical rainforests. However, the recent devastation caused by Typhoon Mawar calls for our urgent attention and support to help Guam recover and rebuild from this natural disaster.
As you may be aware, Typhoon Mawar heavily impacted the U.S. territory of Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) with intense winds, flooding rain, and a life-threatening storm surge Wednesday evening (May 24, 2023). Most of Guam is without power after sustained winds of 140 mph whipped across the islands. Electricity, water, gas, and communications (including internet services) may continue to be unavailable for weeks and perhaps months. Moreover, the only public hospital on the island (Guam Memorial Hospital) also sustained major damage with severe leaks, flooding, walls collapsing, and loss of the kitchen due to an electrical fire. President Biden declared that a major disaster exists on the island of Guam ordering Federal aid to supplement local recovery efforts. The White House Response
In light of the devastating effects of the typhoon, we are seeking your support to help aid the recovery and rebuilding efforts of our island home.
All funds raised will directly support local and national charities to obtain vital supplies for those most vulnerable in the community.
Funds will be distributed to support the following efforts:
-American Red Cross: Typhoon Mawar – Red Cross Donation Link
-Micronesian Climate Change Alliance – https://mccalliance.org/
-Salvation Army Disaster Relief Fund – https://guam.salvationarmy.org/guam/
-Purchase and deliver supplies for Guamanians displaced. Supplies needed include:
- Toiletries
- Candles
- Flashlights
- Batteries
- Water
- Coolers
- Dry/nonperishable foods
- Tarps
- Cleaning Kits
- Rakes and Shovels
si Yu’us ma’åse’
Kai Akimoto, MS2 University of Minnesota School of Medicine
Ariana Barreau, MS4 Carle Illinois College of Medicine UIUC
CJ Hattori, MS1 University of California San Diego
Tiffie Keung, MS4 Michigan State University College of Medicine
Eric Pineda, MS4 Tulane University School of Medicine
Paul Tominez, MS3 University of California San Francisco
Jia Jia Zhang, MS3 Harvard Medical School
Congratulations on graduating! Stay connected to APAMSA with your free alumni membership!
To celebrate your graduation as an APAMSA member, we would like to extend an invitation for a free APAMSA alumni membership. We hope that APAMSA can continue to grow as a supportive community where people at all points in their medical training can build relationships, strengthen connections across state borders, and foster diversity in the medical field. To redeem your membership, please visit: https://app.joinit.com/o/nationalapamsa. If you already have a membership, you can renew your membership as an alumni at no cost.
Statement on the Shooting in Allen, Texas
Saturday, May 6th, 2023 was marked by yet another horrific tragedy, as nine people lost their lives and seven more were injured in a shopping mall in Allen, Texas. Among those killed are four members of the AANHPI community—a Korean family of three, leaving a son orphaned, and an Indian woman. The police are currently investigating the extent to which the attack was motivated by far-right extremist ideologies. Regardless, we at APAMSA lament all of the lives that were devastated by this past weekend’s events—not merely those within the AANHPI community.
In every instance, we staunchly oppose gun violence (Resolution 40.006) and demand stricter gun control. Indeed, we believe strong gun regulations are essential to ensuring all people’s safety, as shown by the string of shootings that have preceded this latest one over the past year, from Laguna Woods and Buffalo to Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay. We call for legislators to fight with unprecedented urgency to protect those innocent lives who might be saved through gun reform. We cannot allow any more injustices to terrorize those whom we hold dear.
We continue to offer our support to all of our local chapters and members, especially in Texas, and we encourage you to reach out with any specific ways we can be of service. Please also consult our list of mental health resources if you are interested in learning more.
If you are interested in exploring additional ways APAMSA can lend our support during these trying times, please reach out to Karen Qi at mentalhealth@apamsa.org, and the Region 9 Directors at region9@apamsa.org.
For questions or concerns about this statement, please reach out to Eric Kim at rapidresponse@apamsa.org
CONGRATS to the 2023 President's Award for Distinguished Service Honorees!
CONGRATS to our graduating M4s who received the 2023 President’s Award for Distinguished Service! Join us as we recognize and honor these 10 APAMSA student leaders who have dedicated years of service, achievement, and committment to empowering our membership and AANHPI community. Thank you for all your leadership and best of luck with residency!
Youtube Videos (credit to Madelynn Zhang):
Short version
Full version
Awardees:
John Yuen, Stony Brook
Madeleine Wong, NYMC
Sai Mupparaju, Sidney Kimmel Medical College
Jonathan Weng, NYU
Laureen Chan, SUNY Downstate
Daniel Pham, University of Oklahoma
Brandon Yan, UCSF
Rodan Mecano, MSU COM
Nicole Ng, VCU
Onyoo Park, NYU
Attend the Future Physicians for Change Conference from June 15-17 in Phoenix, AZ!
If you go to one convention this year, it should be this one: Future Physicians for Change. This is a joint annual convention with AMSA, APAMSA, MSFC, and MS4SF, the first of its kind. This 3-day event from June 15-17, 2023 in Phoenix, AZ is wholly designed to empower, train and inspire us — tomorrow’s physicians — from all walks of life and all corners of the globe. You don’t want to miss this — and if you book before May 15, you get the lowest rate. Join us! Visit FP4Change.org for more information. SIGN UP FOR A SPOT TODAY HERE. #FP4Change
Celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month with us!
First off, we are calling on the APAMSA community to help us expand our mental health resource collection. If you have any local or national resources you’d like to share, please fill out this form! Next up, in the upcoming Mondays, be sure to check out our As I Am Instagram Stories, highlighting APAMSA members’ experiences with mental health. And finally, to close out the month, stay tuned for our virtual speaker event on AANHPI mental health! (Date & Time TBA)
Statement on the Legal Status of Mifepristone
In early April, Texas federal judge Matthew Kacsmaryk ruled in favor of Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine’s lawsuit against the FDA approval of mifepristone, a prescription medication used for abortion. Mifepristone is currently the first of a two-step process, alongside misoprostol, for performing a first-trimester medical abortion. This ruling has several potentially significant ramifications. First, it comes as the next legal attack against patient access to abortion services following the overturning of Roe v. Wade, to which APAMSA has previously responded. Second, the current standard of practice for medical abortions in the United States requires both mifepristone and misoprostol because misoprostol alone, while relatively safe and effective, is still less effective than combination therapy. Third, some worry that these legal challenges warn of future dangers to the legal status and accessibility of misoprostol as well.
On Friday, April 21st, the Supreme Court announced that it would delay the restrictions against mifepristone, which will remain accessible until additional legal debate runs its course. The lawsuit is expected to make its way through the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and eventually back to the Supreme Court.
APAMSA supports the Supreme Court’s decision to protect mifepristone access. As stated in multiple official statements and, most recently, in our official policy compendium as Resolution 10.010, we uphold the importance of protecting access to abortion services. We therefore urge the Supreme Court to maintain its commitment to keeping safe, effective abortion services widely available. We stand with all other healthcare organizations that are also committed to speaking against these threats to the health and welfare of our AANHPI communities and beyond.
For questions or concerns about this statement, please reach out to Eric Kim at rapidresponse@apamsa.org
Lyndon Bui, Region VII Co-Director
Network Director
Hello again! My name is Lyndon Bui, MS3 at UofA Phoenix. I am originally from Orange, CA and I am excited to continue working with the wonderful chapters in Region VII and beyond. I have been passionate about AANHPI culture, outreach, and community conditions since I began college and it is a privilege to continue to learn more and collaborate on events with you all! Outside of APAMSA, my hobbies include spikeball, pickleball, ping pong, cooking, eating, and spontaneous hang outs:) I am very grateful for the opportunity to serve as Regional Director and look forward to creating fun memories with you all!
Vivian Hoang, Region VI Co-Director
Network Director
Hello, everyone! I am a second-year at Kansas City University (KCU) – Joplin. I was born and raised in Wichita, KS. I received my B.S. from Newman University in Wichita and my M.S. at KCU. I am honored to be part of APAMSA, and to be able to work with all of you to create a change in healthcare that will better the AANHPI community and beyond. In my free time, I like to dabble in picking up new skills (ex: learning ASL, ukulele, roller-skating, rock-climbing, etc.)!
Jerry Yin, Region IX Co-Director
Network Director
Hey! My name is Jerry Yin, and I am a second year medical student at McGovern Medical School in Houston, Texas. I was born in Beijing, China, moved to Sugar Land, Texas as a young boy, and then attended UC Berkeley where I studied Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. I’m the outgoing chapter president at UT Houston where I initiated a campus-wide Lunar New Year celebration this year by partnering with our Office of Diversity and Inclusion, and I hope to bring something similar to other chapters in Region IX as one of its directors. My medical interests include bridging the gap between Eastern and Western medicine for first and second generation immigrants, particularly for the internationally adopted population. As a result, I’m currently interested in Med-Peds and potentially a cardiology fellowship. Outside of APAMSA, I enjoy singing and beatboxing for the McGovern Skeletones and Baylor Docappella, co-running the McGovern gaming discord server, and playing basketball, spikeball, and ultimate frisbee with my friends.