Ask Internal Medicine Physician Dr. Marcus Iwane
The Leadership Committee proudly presents Dr. Marcus Iwane, an internal medicine physician dedicated to cultural health and Hawaiian communities. With a deep understanding of the intersection between medicine and heritage, Dr. Iwane is dedicated to ensuring that future generations continue to thrive while honoring their roots. His other passions include fishing, farming, and traveling!
Join us October 3rd for an exclusive Ask Me Anything session where Dr. Iwane will share his insights on health, culture, and the importance of community care. Don’t miss it!
Zoom Meeting ID: 952 5920 8549
Region VIII Conference
APAMSA Region VIII and the UCI APAMSA chapter are ecstatic to invite you to the annual Region VIII Conference hosted at the University of California, Irvine in Irvine. We are excited to host this event, celebrate all backgrounds, and uplift AANHPI communities through our conference “Turning the Tide.” Our theme highlights the shift in narrative towards unity, commemorating diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and acceptance of all. Through this conference, we hope to uphold this goal by hosting influential speakers in the AANHPI sphere, facilitating pre-medical and resident/attending panels, and featuring the research contributions of APAMSA members.
Statement on the Apalachee High School Shooting
On Wednesday, September 4th, 2024, those at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, witnessed a shooting that took the lives of four individuals and injured nine more. This is the 385th mass shooting and the 45th school shooting of the year in the country.
APAMSA remains staunchly opposed to gun violence (Resolution 40.006) and demands stricter gun control, and yet again emphatically states that there is a need for gun reform and control to prevent such acts from occurring. Underaged individuals, especially those with a history of threatening a mass shooting, should not be able to obtain assault weapons. We urge legislators to keep this pressing issue in mind as the 2024 election draws closer, to prioritize their commitment to such reform, and to listen to the voices of their grieving constituents.
We mourn with the nation for the lives lost and interrupted by this tragedy. We offer our support to those affected and we encourage you to reach out if there are specific ways in which we can assist you.
For local support, please contact the Region 4 directors at region4@apamsa.org.
For questions or concerns, please reach out to Nataliyah Tahir at rapidresponse@apamsa.org
2024 APAMSA Regional Conference Diversity Travel Grant
National APAMSA is offering a limited number of travel grants to increase participation in the APAMSA National Conference by medical students who are underrepresented and often invisible in the AANHPI narrative in the United States. We currently expect to award 12 individual grants of approximately $100.
More information in the application here and hyperlinked below: tinyurl.com/2024-rc-grant
Apply now!



2024 APAMSA Regional Conferences
We are excited to announce the dates and host schools for the 2024 APAMSA Regional Conferences! We have 7 conferences from August to October with exciting opportunities to learn from speakers, network, and meet other APAMSA members! Keep an eye out for more information for each specific conference. Please reach out to membership@apamsa.org with any questions!

ERAS Workshop
Join us on Wednesday, August 7th at 8:00 PM EST/5:00 PM PST via Zoom for our Personal Statement and ERAS Workshop. We’re excited to have Dr. Grace Kajita, IM Program Director at Montefiore, and Dr. Indu Partha, IM Program Director at the University of Arizona, Tucson, as our distinguished guests. These experienced program directors will share their expert tips and strategies to help you stand out in your residency application. Gain firsthand advice, learn how to effectively present your experiences and strengths, and participate in a Q&A to get your questions answered. Don’t miss this opportunity to enhance your application and set yourself apart!
Mark your calendars and join us for this workshop!
Meeting ID: 990 4810 7729
Passcode: 294708

National APAMSA Condemns Violent Suppression of Student Protests on College Campuses
On April 18th, 2024, the New York Police Department (NYPD) arrested over 100 peaceful student protestors at Columbia University’s “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” in response to orders by university President Nemat Minouche Shafik. The arrests have ignited a nationwide movement of college students setting up similar encampments to protest US support for Israeli military action in Gaza and to call for divestment of school endowments from corporations that profit from war.
Alarmingly, however, college administrators have continued to escalate against peaceful student protests with violent police suppression, disproportionate disciplinary action, and undue censorship. Administrator-ordered police intervention on several campuses has led to more than 800 arrests of students nationally, with many police officers using excessive force. At the University of Texas at Austin, Governor Greg Abbott called on state troopers clad in riot gear to stop peaceful student demonstrations, while at Emory University police officers and state troopers reportedly used pepper spray, rubber bullets and tear gas on students, tased attendees, and wrestled faculty to the ground. Since November 2023, administrators have employed multiple intimidation tactics to censor pro-Palestinian voices, including suspending students to facilitate police arrests, banning student chapters of Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP) and Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), and even terminating physicians-in-training from residency programs.
National APAMSA condemns the brutal crackdown on academic freedom and free speech on college campuses across the country. We support statements made by organizations such as Asian Texans for Justice, Rise AAPI, Emgage Action, Stop AAPI Hate, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and Human Rights Watch (HRW). As a national medical student organization whose mission is rooted in principles of health advocacy, we stand in solidarity with all students exercising their constitutional right to free speech to advocate for human rights. As stated in a previous statement, National APAMSA unequivocally upholds the value of human life everywhere. We remain committed in our demand for a sustained humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza in light of the thousands of innocent lives lost, numerous attacks on healthcare workers and facilities, and restricted access to humanitarian aid.
We call on college administrators to resist political pressures to censor student voices and instead uphold academic freedom––encouraging students to engage in civil discourse on campuses without fear of punitive and disproportionate punishment. Removing peaceful protests using police violence under the guise of improving campus safety further endangers students and creates hostile learning environments. Reiterating previous statements, we likewise continue to condemn accounts of anti-Palestinian racism, antisemitism, and Islamophobia reported amid the protests.
For questions or concerns, please reach out to Nataliyah Tahir at rapidresponse@apamsa.org
2024 Bootcamp Series


Response to Proposed EDUCATE Act (H.R. 7725)
On March 19, 2024, Rep. Greg Murphy, MD (R-NC) introduced the Embracing anti-Discrimination, Unbiased Curricula, and Advancing Truth in Education (EDUCATE) Act (H.R. 7725) to Congress. The bill would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 (P.L. 89-329) to prohibit graduate medical schools from receiving federal funding, including student loans and federal research grants, if such schools adopt policies and requirements relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). These policies include the maintenance of DEI offices and affinity groups, as well as the use of diversity statements. Rep. Murphy, the author of the bill and a practicing urologist, claims that DEI is a divisive and discriminatory philosophy that undermines medical education and results in a less qualified physician force. The bill comes amid an alarming nationwide political assault on DEI, as more than 80 bills restricting or regulating DEI in higher education have been introduced in 28 states and the US Congress since 2023.
As an organization committed to addressing the unique health challenges of AANHPI communities, National APAMSA condemns the EDUCATE Act and will continue to support DEI policies in healthcare and health professions education alongside leading medical associations from across the country. APAMSA affirms that DEI neither exists in opposition to merit, nor does it jeopardize the quality of medical education––these are myths propagated to fuel a political agenda. While by no means perfect, campus DEI structures provide physicians in training the tools to address the health needs of an increasingly diverse population, providing learning environments that help students from various backgrounds overcome implicit biases that contribute to disparities in treatment and health outcomes. The evidence is abundantly clear: diversity in healthcare improves patient outcomes, and in effect creates a more qualified physician force.
National APAMSA unequivocally supports DEI initiatives in our policy compendium (Resolution 40.002) and in recent statements. Attacks on DEI in medical education clearly contradict a core tenet of our mission. We therefore reiterate our opposition to the EDUCATE Act and urge legislators to oppose HR 7725.
For questions or concerns, please reach out to Nataliyah Tahir at rapidresponse@apamsa.org
2024-2025 APAMSA National Board Applications Open!
CALLING FOR CANDIDATES to run for the 2024-2025 National Board!! We’re excited to announce that applications are now open. If you are interested in gaining leadership experience, this is your chance to run for a position on our National Board! For full details, visit our website at apamsa.org/elections.
