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AMWA Annual Meeting -- February 1 Deadline for Student Abstract Competition, National Leadership Elections, and Travel Grant Funding!
AMWA's Annual Meeting is the leading strategic career and personal development conference for women physicians, medical students, and residents. AMWA presents an exciting program for its Annual Meeting, Achieving Success as Women in Medicine, on April 13-15, 2012 at the Sofitel Miami, Miami, Florida.
Gloria Steinem and Rachel Naomi Remen, MD are keynote speakers. Session topics range from mentoring and breaking the glass ceiling at all career stages to issues in global women's health such as stroke risk, cardiovascular disease, the human papilloma virus, and advances in imaging. World experts on women's health and women's advancement will lead hands-on workshop sessions.
AMWA has designed a mix of student-oriented programming, with mentoring sessions, hands-on skills workshops, and a poster competition, to enhance the educational experience of student members. AMWA also provides an extensive range of leadership opportunities for students and offers a large number of student-only travel grants.
Student Travel Grants -- AMWA will be offering travel grants up to $300 each to qualified student applicants in order to subsidize conference costs
Student Abstract Competition -- Students involved in research related to women's health or women in medicine are encouraged to submit an abstract for the opportunity to present a research poster. Deadline to submit abstract: Feb 1.
Student Leadership Positions -- AMWA's student division grows and advances only through the efforts of dedicated student leaders like you! Each national leadership position varies greatly with respect to responsibility and time commitment. However, each requires a passion for advancing women in medicine and women’s health. National and regional leaders are elected by vote each year at the AMWA Annual Meeting. Deadline to apply: Feb 1.
January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month
Recent innovations in prevention and screening have reduced projected rates cervical cancer by an estimated 75-80%. Since cervical cancer is most often caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), HPV vaccines and liquid-based cytology/ HPV testing technologies have made an enormous difference in preventing cervical cancer and catching it early. However, the US continues to see 12,000 new diagnoses annually, and cervical cancer remains a huge problem worldwide.
You can help by encouraging girls and women ages 9-26 to get vaccinated. Vaccinating early – before girls become sexually active – is especially important, so CDC recommendations are to include HPV vaccination with routine shots for 11-12 year-old girls. The vaccine is also safe and effective for men, but is not currently recommended for routine administration to males.
Regular Paps are also important. Although the USPSTF, ACOG, and ACS all have slightly different screening recommendations, general guidelines are to screen women ages 21-70 every 3 years or more often for higher-risk women. Click here for the most recent cervical cancer screening guidelines from the CDC, updated November 2011.
For more information, promotional posters, and PSAs, check out the National Cervical Cancer Coalition's website.
AMC AMWA innovates with social media, male participation in Interpersonal Violence Awareness Week
Lara Reichert, AMC AMWA co-president
In December, AMC AMWA hosted its 2nd annual Interpersonal Violence Awareness Week. It was a week of speakers, awareness events, and tons of student participation. Daily talks by local community members covered topics ranging from emergency contraception options following assault to how healthcare workers can practice self-care when dealing with such difficult topics. The week’s events were attended by over 200 students, physicians, social workers, and local community workers!
To raise awareness, AMC AMWA used social media to post daily facts about interpersonal violence. The school’s professors were on board with displaying the statistics at the beginning of each lecture. One of the newest and most exciting additions to the week was the creation of the White Ribbon Group, a group of male students who tabled at the hospital cafeteria in "white ribbon" scrubs speaking with hospital staff and visitors about IPV and how men can be involved in this important issue. Special thanks to Malorie Simons and Lindsey Cilia for organizing this group of male students.
It was a great week of awareness and education, and AMC couldn't be prouder of the support and enthusiasm from the college, medical center, and local community.
Ways to Pay Off Your Debt, Pay it Forward
Kam Lam, AMWA Awards Chair
The average medical student graduates with $157,944 of debt, and almost 80% of us have to pay off more than $100,000. With these numbers, it’s never too early to start thinking about financing your medical education. Here are a few options to consider:
National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Scholarships. In return for 2-4 years of working in an underserved area upon completion of medical training, these competitive scholarships offer: tax-free payment of tuition, required fees, other reasonable educational costs, and a monthly living stipend; assistance finding a job at a high-need, NHSC-approved site; access to educational, training, and networking opportunities; and a community of providers with a shared desire to serve patients with limited access to health care. Application deadline is May 15, 2012; awards distributed September 30, 2012. Click here for info on the scholarship, and here to search for eligible programs in your region of interest.
NHSC Loan Repayment Program (LRP). After you graduate and become a licensed physician working in primary care in an underserved area, you can apply for the LRP to help with accrued debt. Application deadline is May 15, 2012; awards distributed September 30, 2012. Click here for more info.
U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. The U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps is an elite team of more than 6,500 full-time, well-trained, highly qualified public health professionals dedicated to delivering the nation's public health promotion and disease prevention programs and advancing public health science. Driven by a passion for public service, these men and women serve on the frontlines in the nation's fight against disease and poor health conditions. Application deadline is December 31, 2012. For students in the class of 2014, click here to check out the Senior Commissioned Officer Student Training and Extern Program. For info on joining the corps once you become a physician, click here.
Stay tuned for more financial debt management in the spring!
AMWA Accolades
Props to Region 1 (CT, MA, ME, NH, RI, and VT) for holding their 2nd annual regional student brunch attended by more than 70 students.
Students learned about the advocacy work of national AMWA and the benefits of AMWA membership from Student President-elect, Linda Wang. The event also featured Dr. Michelle Sia, who spoke on substance abuse in pregnant women, and Dr. Robert Witzburg, who spoke on HIV/AIDS advocacy. The event was an inspiring opportunity to learn about career opportunities and network with regional leaders and future leaders.
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