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Boston, MA--While 5,000 of the world’s leading hepatologists were discussing the recent research developments in liver diseases across the street in the Hynes Convention Center at the annual AASLD Liver Meeting in Boston, 85 medical students from more than 50 different medical schools were gathered at the Hilton Back Bay for the first ever, Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association, Hepatitis B Outreach Training.
The Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) is a national organization representing more than 15,000 medical students nation-wide with more than 100 medical school chapters across the country. APAMSA is dedicated to improving the health and well being of the Asian Pacific American Community. Their national service project, “APAMSA Fights to Break the Hepatitis B Cycle!” is dedicated to educating, screening, and immunizing the APA community for Hepatitis B. Hepatitis B is a devastating liver disease which is extremely prevalent in the Asian Pacific American community. It is often called a “silent killer” because it can lead to liver cancer and nearly sudden death at very early ages.
To address this issue, APAMSA held their first ever Hepatitis B training session in Boston coinciding with the annual Liver Meeting. The programming consisted of lectures by world renowned hepatologist Dr. Anna Lok, and national APA health advocate, Dr. Karen Kim. In addition, during their afternoon session, leading hepatologists from around the country led the students in break out sessions to discuss and brainstorm Hepatitis B outreach projects in their local areas. These physicians included, Ramsey Cheung, Steven Han, Harpreet Pall, K.Rajender Reddy, Thomas Tsang, Tse-Ling Fong, Eddie C. Cheung, Daryl T.-Y. Lau, Lawton Shick, Naoky Tsai, Chia Wang, and Tram T. Tran.
Dr. Anna Lok led the students in the basics of Hepatitis B epidemiology, pathophysiology and treatment. Dr. Karen Kim shared with the students her most compelling personal story of her mother’s death from Hepatitis B and pleaded with the students to take action now.
One of the most unique highlights of the program, was the world premiere of the first ever Hepatitis B spoken word piece, created by APAMSA members and Washington University Medical Students, Jason Hill, and Leon Scott. Spoken word is an exciting new art form combining elements of hip-hop, poetry, and rap. Their performance captivated and astounded the audience, and through spoken word, they conveyed the messages of the need for Hepatitis B awareness, health policy changes, education and availability of the Hepatitis B vaccine, and the need to fight now to break this Hepatitis B cycle.
By the close of the meeting, a national cross section of future and current physicians had been united for a common cause of eliminating Hepatitis B. It was a groundbreaking and pivotal event in sparking a national movement to address Hepatitis B. For more info on APAMSA, please see www.apamsa.org.
Information
Details:
Date: October 28, 2006
Time: 9:30AM-3:30PM
Place: Hilton Fenway Ballroom (across the street from Hynes Convention Center)
Who: One representative per active APAMSA chapter may attend.
Cost of training: FREE
Register Online here by September 1st, 5PM CENTRAL:
Tentative Schedule:
8:30AM Breakfast and Registration
9:30AM Opening
10AM-11AM: Dr. Lok--Hep B pathophys, epidemiology, intro to public health
11AM-12: Dr. Karen Kim: HepB: Culture in Medicine
12-1:45PM
HepB Spoken Word Performance Piece, Lunch, Physician/med student break-out sessions
1:45-2PM: HepBTV presentation
2-2:10 ALF presentation of materials
2:10-3:10 HepB Screening Workshop
2:10-2:20: APAMSA HepB screening Protocol (Kathy and Dr. Lok)
2:20-2:40: Physician Panel: HepB Screening Do's and Don't's--Chia Wang, Karen Kim
2:40-3PM: Physician Panel: HepB Follow Up-Care - Naoky Tsai, Anna Lok
3-3:30PM: Closing
Arrival information:
Please read the APAMSA HepB How-to-Guide before the training session!!
1. Students being housed in APAMSA hotel housing will be in the Howard Johnson Inn Fenway. Directions to hotel/airport/training site are below.
2. Friday night October 27th social! Meet in the lobby of the Howard Johnson Inn Fenway at 10:00PM. We're going to go to a bar recommended by the Boston University Chapter, http://www.liquorstoreboston.com/. If you arrive after this time, and would like to meet up, take the greenline straight to the Boylston Stop and its across the street from there. Supposedly no cover before midnight. Also, make sure you have fun, but still are able to get to Hilton on Saturday no latter than 9AM.
3. Dress for Saturday--business casual or nicer. Professional attire.
4. Physician-Med Student Break out session--During the lunch session, we will have a physciain-med student break out session. This is your chance to ask your physician group leader questions you have about setting up your HepB Projects.
5. APAMSA How-to-Guide--Please read the APAMSA HepB How-to-guide, attached, BEFORE arriving. We will go over highlights of this during the training, but we won't have time to go over everything.
6. Breaks/Food have been scheduled throughout the day. You will be well-fed. A reminder, however, that entry/exit into the room may be limited to breaks only so as not to disturb the filming.
7. AASLD Liver Meeting--If you did not receive a registration for the AASLD meeting (only those who registered by September 1st received these), and would like to attend, please contact me, president@apamsa.org ASAP.
Directions:
Airport--> Howard Johnson Fenway (1271 Boylston Street, Boston, MA, 02215, 617-267-8300)
-->From the airport take Blue Line to Government Center
-->Switch to Green Line
-->Get off on Kenmore Station (10 minute walk to hotel from this station)
--> When you get out of station, face the Pizzeria Uno
--> Follow Brookline Avenue (left of the Pizzeria Uno) 3 blocks
--> Left on Yawkey Way
--> Left Boylston, arrive at hotel.
Howard Johnson Fenway--> Hilton Backbay (where training session will be held)
--> Take greenline from Kenmore station one stop to Hynes Cenvention Center
--> Exit station on Mass Ave
--> go Left 2 blocks till see McDonalds
--> When you see Mcdonalds, turn left on Belvidere, go straight until you see the Hilton.
When to arrive/depart:
Non-local students are encouraged to arrive Boston on Friday, October 27th. A social event at a bar/club will be organized on the evening of October 27th in collaboration with the Boston APAMSA chapters. Accomodations will be provided for one night at the Howard Johnson Fenway.
Because many segments of this training will be filmed, it is imperative you arrive on time on October 28th, no later than 9:30AM, and remain until the conclusion of the event at 3:30PM so you don’t disturb the filming. Lunch will be provided on October 28th.
American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD)—The Liver Meeting, www.aasld.org—Our training session is strategically planned during the same time as the Liver Meeting taking place at the Hynes Convention Center. More than 5,000 hepatologists and physicians will be attending this meeting.
We have arranged an exclusive opportunity for APAMSA students to receive free registrations to attend this meeting!! This is a $300 value, so you are highly encouraged to arrive early on Friday (10/27) to attend and/or attend sessions on Saturday (10/28) or Sunday (10/29).
* Note: You are responsible for your own housing if you choose to stay additional nights. Click here for additional hotel options.
Accomodations: National APAMSA will cover the costs of accommodations for Friday October 27th for one person per school. Students will be housed at the Howard Johnson Inn Fenway. The Howard Johnson Fenway is conveniently located downtown and one subway stop away from the Hynes convention center.
Up to 4 same gender persons will be housed in one room with two double beds. If you require other housing specifications, you are responsible for arranging and paying for those yourself. National APAMSA will not cover the costs of any incidentals.
Travel Scholarships: Each active APAMSA chapter who successfully RSVP’d on August 2nd is eligible to apply for a single travel scholarship to subsidize your travel. All students are asked to request travel assistance from your schools first, so that we can make our national funds go as far as possible. In addition, we are expecting you to utilize the least cost options of traveling to Boston, especially the East Coast schools (Driving, chinatown bus, train, discount airlines, etc). Scholarships will be provided in the form of reimbursements at the close of the meeting on October 28th. Reimbursements are contingent on your participation in the meeting. Upon receipt of your scholarship application, you will be sent an e-mail telling you the minimum amount that you will receive. Final decisions regarding schoalrship amounts will be e-mailed to you on September 2nd.
PLEASE NOTE: Budget allocations for travel scholarships have been made based on airline quotes obtained on August 7th. You are therefore STRONGLY encouraged to apply for the scholarships early and also book your flight early.
Travel information: *Book your flight early to ensure the cheapest ticket!!!!!
Logan International Airport, http://www.massport.com/logan/default.aspx, is the closest large airport.
Other airports:
Hanscom Field, http://www.massport.com/hansc/, in Bedford, Massachusetts Manchester Airport, http://www.flymanchester.com/, in Manchester, New Hampshire,
T.F. Green, http://www.pvdairport.com/, in Providence, Rhode Island.
Subway:
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, http://www.mbta.com/, (MBTA, or the T) runs the area's public transportation, including the subway system, buses, and water taxis. Their Web site includes information about getting around, schedules, and a trip planner.
Amtrak:
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?pagename=Amtrak/HomePage, nearby stations include South Station, Back Bay, and North Station. These stations also connect to different subway and bus lines of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. |
