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.
Stephen Kwong, Region IX Co-Director
Network Director
Hey y’all, I’m Stephen Kwong, a second year
medical student at Texas A&M University School of Medicine. I was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and got my B.S. in Neurobiology at the University of California, Davis. Growing up among such a large AANHPI population has not only given me a strong appreciation for the richly diverse cultures in our community, but has also shown me the many health challenges we face together. It has always been a dream of mine to do my part in helping to connect US health policy and practice with the multitude of needs our diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives bring. When I’m not working you can find me cooking, baking, reading sci-fi or fantasy novels, scuba diving, or playing way too many videogames.
Christian Abenes, Region IV Co-Director
Network Director
Hello, My name is Christian Abenes and I am currently a medical student at the University of Kansas School of Medicine. Prior to medical school, I received both a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Masters in Business Administration with a concentration in Health Care Administration from Ottawa University. I also worked with Ottawa University’s Student Clinic and my county’s health department to aid my community during the COVID pandemic. Currently, I am working in my institution’s research lab for Alzheimer’s Disease. Throughout my journey in medicine I have been involved in several programs put on by the Office of Diversity & Inclusion at the University of Kansas School of Medicine and have seen firsthand the importance of diversity. During my time as a medical student and beyond, I aim to be an advocate for diversity in medicine. I am excited to join my colleagues as a Regional Director for APAMSA!
Stephen Chien, Region III Co-Director
Network Director
Hi! My name is Stephen and I’m a first year medical student at Drexel University College of Medicine. I’m from Rowland Heights, CA and went to UC Berkeley where I majored in Public Health. My interests in medicine and my Taiwanese heritage has given me a desire to serve the greater AANHPI community. Hobby-wise, I enjoy playing basketball, collecting sports cards, and thrift shopping.
Anne Francine Pino, Region III Co-Director
Network Director
Hello, my name is Anne Francine Pino and I am a first year student at Penn State College of Medicine. I am originally from NJ and attended Seton Hall University where I received my B.A. in English Literature. As a first generation Filipino-American I am passionate about AANHPI health, expanding diversity in medicine, and medical humanities. In my free time, I enjoy watching movies with my dog and hiking.
Skylar Luu, Region I Co-Director
Network Director
Hi! My name is Skylar Luu, and I am a medical student at Albany Medical College. I was born and raised in Albany. I then attended college in Baltimore where I obtained my B.S. in Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University. I was first exposed to APAMSA when I attended a regional conference and joined the club at the beginning of medical school. I was a Region 1 Director last year and am excited to continue to serve as part of the national board!