National Board

Hello everyone! My name is Amelia Huynh and I am a second-year medical student at Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences. I was born in San Francisco and graduated from UC Davis with a B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. Afterwards, I pursued my M.S. at Keck Graduate Institute where I had the pleasure of working with with Pfizer Inc. As a former Region VIII Director and now Membership Vice President, I am committed to upholding our roots and to promoting cross cultural healthcare practices that honor and respect the diversity of our community. Ultimately, my goal in APAMSA is to build an inclusive and equitable support system that ensures every member is provided with the care and resources they need to live a healthy and fulfilling life. Outside of medicine, I enjoy spending quality time with family and friends, food blogging, watching anime, and hosting game board nights.

Hi everyone! My name is Annie, and I’m a 5th year MD/PhD at the University of Connecticut. I grew up in Massachusetts, and I got my Bachelors in Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry from Yale. Since starting medical school, I’ve been involved in health policy in APAMSA and the American Medical Association, centered on my strong interest for the advocacy for underrepresented and minority groups, focused on health-related issues that disproportionately impact BIPOC individuals, people with disabilities, and victims of domestic violence. I am so excited to continue bringing my advocacy interests to APAMSA as this year’s Advocacy VP. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, mixing cocktails for my friends, social dancing, and decorating my apartment on a student’s budget.

Hi everyone! My name is Suzanna Tom (you can call me Suz), and I am a rising MS4 at USF Morsani College of Medicine, in the SELECT program. I’m originally from Sam Francisco (#yayarea), went to UC Berkeley for my BS in Chemical Biology, worked as a pediatric scribe at UCSF before starting medical school. My journey with APAMSA started with my local chapter where I was the Community Outreach Chair, and I honestly wasn’t planning on joining National Board until I attended my regional conference and was inspired to join other likeminded individuals in creating positive change for our AANHPI community on a more coordinated, national front. Since then, I served as RD4 before returning this year as External Affairs Vice President. I am very excited for this next year as we continue to expand our reach, work with other organizations to make our community’s desires known and to address healthcare disparities, implement new ways to support our members through medical school and beyond, and finally serve as a safe haven that folks can always come back to. In my free time, I like to watch Korean dramas and anime, cook recipes that remind me of my grandma, stay active with weightlifting, tennis, and volleyball, and annoy/cuddle with my cat Kyo!

Hi! my name is Victoria Shi and I am finishing my M3 year at the UMKC School of Medicine before I am off to a yearlong research fellowship in Dermatology at Northwestern this coming summer. I grew up in Pennsylvania before moving to a suburb of New Jersey. I enjoy traveling, nature, exploring big cities and trying new restaurants! Both my local and national APAMSA families have given me such a strong sense of community. My role as prior co-President of my local chapter for two years was so fulfilling– we hosted health fairs targeting different AANHPI populations. I’ve loved these opportunities to directly interact with and support the AANHPI community! I first joined the APAMSA national board in 2019 as a Region VI director and I was alumni-co director last year. This year, I’m excited to create opportunities for mentorship between AANHPI alumni, medical students, and pre-health students so these communities can uplift each other.

Hi everyone! My name is Jessica Hsueh, and I am a current MS3 at Georgetown. I will be taking a research year at the NIH after finishing my third year, conducting urologic oncology research. I was born and raised in Los Angeles and went to undergrad at CSULA, where I majored in microbiology and minored in public health. Before becoming an APAMSA MVP, I was a Region 3 Director in 2021 and Database Director in 2022. In my free time, I enjoy kickboxing, playing with my three pets (2 dogs and 1 cat), and traveling!

Hello! My name is Rachel and I’m a second-year medical student at the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM). I’m originally from the suburbs of New Jersey and attended undergrad at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences as part of their accelerated BS/DO program. I’ve been a member of APAMSA ever since I started medical school, and I’ve served as secretary of the executive board at my local chapter. I’ve also served as president of my school’s Oncology Club, during which I hosted numerous guest speaker events with clinicians to provide learning opportunities for students, invited cancer researchers for our first ever Cancer Research Symposium, and organized volunteer events to connect our students with the local community. I aim to bring similar opportunities and more to APAMSA members as this year’s Cancer Initiative Director. Outside of academics, I enjoy food in all forms (except olives), knitting, and movie nights with friends!

Hi, my name is Jane Park and I am a DO student at Western University of Health Sciences in California. I have been involved with Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) since 2018, currently am one of the liaisons for The National Task Force on Hepatitis B and APAMSA, and am excited to serve as the incoming 2023 Hepatitis Director. Prior to medical school, I obtained my B.S. in Integrative Biology and Physiology at University of California, Los Angeles, where I also started the Asian Pacific Hepatitis Outreach program in collaboration with St. Vincent Medical Center and David Geffen School of Medicine. Outside of school I enjoy long-distance running, hiking, watching soccer and playing music with friends.

Howdy! I’m a MD/MPH student at the Texas A&M School of Medicine. Born and raised in Houston, I attended the University of Houston for undergrad, where I first became involved with service organizations. I’m passionate about eliminating AANHPI health disparities, particularly through policy and collective care. Outside of school, I have organized community health programs for the Vietnamese Culture and Science Association, including COVID-19 vaccine drives and health fairs primarily serving Asian Americans. In my free time, I enjoy listening to NPR podcasts at 2x speed, finishing Octavia Butler’s library, and learning how to play guitar.

Hello, my name is Maya “Asami” Takagi and I am a MD student at Central Michigan University College of Medicine. I serve as the 2023-24 APAMSA Bone Marrow Director. During medical school, I served as CMED’s APAMSA chapter president and a committee member on APAMSA’s hepatitis conference for two conferences. I have also been involved in various teaching and mentoring activities, as well as patient education research. Before medical school, I received a Bachelor’s in Molecular and Cell Biology with an emphasis in Biochemistry, and a minor in K-12 STEM education. In addition, I worked as a junior specialist in a genomics lab at UCSF, where I utilized CRISPR/Cas9 screening techniques to investigate mammalian regulatory elements. In my free time, I enjoy arts and crafts, cooking, and creating digital art.

Hi everyone! My name is Victoria Cegielski and I am a fifth-year student in the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine six-year medical program. I am academically interested in ophthalmology, with concurrent research interests in ophthalmology and neurophysiology.
Outside of school, I have served on APAMSA National Board as Social Media Director, Region VI Director, and am super excited to work this coming year as Alumni Director!
Originally from Washington state, moving from Seattle to Kansas City was a difficult transition for me; I struggled with finding a true sense of belonging. Getting involved with APAMSA was my turning point, connecting me with local and national AANHPI community members who showed me my sense of purpose.
I would not be where I am today without the support of our alumni; for this, I am beyond grateful. Thus, I seek to facilitate mentorship for the upcoming generations of our APAMSA members in my role this next year!