The Tripod

Media Credit: Sarah Johnson

Eight Trinity pre-med students gathered at 4:30 a.m. (despite the ailings early-morning awakenings may bring) on March 7 to catch a flight to D.C. to attend the American Medical Student Association's (AMSA) 57th Annual Convention. AMSA is a student-governed, national organization committed to representing the concerns of physicians-in-training. AMSA is about more than just improving medical student lives, striving also for improved health care and delivery to all people.

They spent five days at the conference listening to one motivational speaker after another, engaging in a multitude of discussions with medical and pre-medical students from around the globe, participating in workshops, and lobbying and rallying on Capitol Hill. They were also provided with the opportunity to network within AMSA's own political structures. The goal: to bridge the gap between their lives as Trinity students and their passions to be medical students.

The theme of this year's conference was Health Care Justice: Pursuing the Dream of a Healthy Society, inspired by Martin Luther King Jr.'s words: "Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane." The theme of health care justice was intensified with speakers such as Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) who played a key role in the civil rights movement, Paul Farmer, M.D., Ph.D. who is the founding director of Partners in Health and is well-known for his work with AIDS and tuberculosis, and Sanjay Gupta, M.D., who is the Senior Medical Correspondent for CNN. Many felt the conference explored issues that medical students may not have previously thought about. Cristina Wheeler-Castillo '08, Trinity's AMSA president, said, "It was awesome to meet other pre-meds who care about health care justice, and not just about getting into medical school."

The conference truly advocated for the progressive side of health care: "everybody in; nobody out." Lobbying on Capitol Hill for the State Children's Health Insurance Program and the Durbin Bill was an experience never to forget. Attending workshops and lectures with some of the following titles showed AMSA's desire to have an all inclusive health care system: "Perspectives on Borderless Health Disparities," "Health Care panel: LGBTQ in Medicine," "26 Years of AIDS is Long Enough," and "The right to Reproductive Choice" just to name a few. Wheeler-Castillo said, "As president, I was thrilled that we were able to get funding for eight Trinity students to attend the convention and I think it really has made a difference in their pre-med experience, as I know it has in mine," going on to describe her future wishes for the program. "My hope is that our Trinity chapter will continue to grow and that we can collaborate more with other AMSA chapters."

Although the conference was largely made up of medical students, there were several seminars for those that had not yet begun the journey such as "Many Paths, common Goal: Medical Student Panel," "Acronym Soup: MCAT and the AAMC," and "What Do Medical Schools Look for in Their Applicants?" given by the Associate Dean for Medical School Admissions from Stanford University School of Medicine. In addition, there was a medical school fair which Hannah Knipple '07 described as "A Disneyland for pre-meds." The fair allowed you to network with students and representatives from medical schools around the nation such as Yale, Mayo, Northwestern, Johns Hopkins, and many others. Trinity students showed enthusiasm with the myriad of opportunities offered during the convention. "Though I had been looking forward to the inspiring lectures and activities provided at convention, what I enjoy most is the environment in which students join together to encourage each other to change the world one baby step at a time," said Knipple. Other members of the organization, including freshmen, found the conference as an enlightening experience. "AMSA has provided me with the invaluable experience of shadowing in Hartford Hospital this semester and I have really enjoyed the experiences I've had there. Just being in the club is a lot of fun, and the opportunity to go to convention this year was amazing," said Jessica Ross '10

Ross, Wheeler-Castillo, and Piper Klemm '09 ran for positions as Women in Medicine Regional Coordinators, won these roles, and will be working on regional programming and connecting with other AMSA chapters this year as part of their new positions.

All in all, it was an irreplaceable experience for anyone interested in going into the Health Professions. Trinity's Chapter of AMSA meets every Monday night at 9:15 in the Science Commons and welcomes new members year-round, including those interested in dental school and veterinary school. The work load of a pre-med student is rigorous and the pressure of getting into medical school can feel overwhelming; AMSA meetings and the National Convention allow students to reflect on why they are working so hard and provides valuable health-related experiences to students during their time at Trinity.

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