PHR Student Program Northeast Regional Hub

The not-so-simple act of surviving medical school can be exhausting, easily wearing on the ideals of even the most dedicated human rights advocates. Third year clerkships have been particularly grueling, so I’ve spent much of the year looking forward to PHR’s National Conference as an opportunity to recharge my batteries—a chance to be inspired by luminaries in the field of health and human rights, as well as by the work of my fellow students (aka future luminaries).  When the conference finally arrived last weekend, it provided just the jolt I had been looking for.

The fun began early with a pub night. By the end of the evening, I had met students from as far away as Texas, learned something new about connective tissue diseases from a researcher at Boston Children’s Hospital, and even received career advice from one of the conference speakers—all while sipping delicious cocktails and enjoying good music. It was a great way to jump-start the weekend and to arrive at the conference knowing there would be familiar faces to greet.

The conference itself provided all the inspiration I had been looking for. The all-star presentation line-up included a keynote by Dr. Howard Zucker, who described the power of even small ideas to change the face of care for the underserved if we persist in pursuing their implementation. He was followed by Professor Stephen Marks, who expounded upon the notion of a right to health in the context of the current American political climate. The panels that transitioned the conference from morning to afternoon included:

• Motivational advice from PHR Past President Dr. Holly Atkinson about our role in bending the arc of history toward justice;
• Moving first-hand testimony about the conflicts in Chechnya and Darfur from Dr. Khassan Baiev and Dr. Mohammed Ahmed Eisa, respectively, along with commentary by Dr. Michael VanRooyen, Dr. Sondra Crosby, and PHR Deputy Director Susannah Sirkin about how American medical professionals can assist in the face of atrocities;
• Practical advice from resident Sohil Sud, fellows Stephen Morris and Parveen Parmar, and Oxfam America advisor Sarah Kalloch about how to pursue a commitment to human rights throughout medical training;
• Explanation by Dr. Ramin Asgary and lawyer Christy Fujio of the role medical affidavits can play in ensuring that torture survivors receive asylum;
• A primer from PHR Deputy Director Richard Sollom on the power of epidemiological research to hold perpetrators of human rights abuses accountable;
• Tips for developing advocacy initiatives based on clinical problems and taking these initiatives to the press, by Dr. Gloria White-Hammond, ABIM Foundation Director of Communications John Held, and PHR Senior Press Officer Megan Prock.

Click here to learn more about the speakers.

(In the next post, recap of the awards ceremony and Sujal Parikh Memorial Education Expo…)

Over the next month, PHR chapters in the Mid-Atlantic and Southern regions will be collaborating on a Regional Advocacy Institute that will take place on November 13 at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. The Mid-Atlantic and Southern Institute promises to be an engaging, informative, and exciting event.

The Institute will address a number of topics that are relevant to students: the research and advocacy of PHR, how students can contribute, the resources available to Chapters (like the new Toolkits), and the new online community (everyone in your Chapter should register!). This weekend, the Midwestern Regional Advocacy Institute took place in Chicago, and they covered a lot of the same topics. Chapters from all over the Midwest connected and shared resources, ideas, and plans.

For me, the most prominent issue is Health and Human Rights Education (HHRE), which Jake already identified as our number one priority for the year. We need to identify ways to implement HHRE, provide support for our chapter leaders as they spearhead curricular initiatives, and ultimately come up with an evidence base for the importance of HHRE in medical education.

HHRE initiatives could range from health and human rights electives (something that we are currently implementing at my school, as part of the preclinical public health course) to colloquia on human rights and justice issues as they pertain to health. Health and human rights issues could also be incorporated into academic inquiry – as medical students, our research, whether basic sciences, translational, clinical, public health, or something else, would only be enriched by an awareness and understanding of human rights issues. I could go on ad infinitum about the benefits of HHRE, but I’ll end for now.

At the Institute, I look forward to collaborating with other Mid-Atlantic and Southern chapters, and working with fellow SABer Mona Singh at VCU College of Medicine, to bring the goals of National Student Program in alignment with those of our individual chapters.

Keep on fighting the good fight!

PHR has sadly received word of the untimely death of Student Advisory Board Member Sujal Parikh.

Sujal, a student at the University of Michigan Medical School, was spending a year in Kampala, Uganda, as a Fogarty Fellow doing long-term research with children with HIV, after which he would have returned to UM for his 4th year. His death is a great loss for the health and human rights movement.

UM’s Center for Global Health says: “We are heartbroken as we inform you of the passing of our dear friend Sujal Parikh, an exemplary human being and colleague. Among other accomplishments and honors, Sujal was a member of our internal advisory committee and a CGH awardee for several initiatives. All of us at CGH benefited immensely from his advice and from his example of humble service to global health. Although his life was cut so short, his achievements were many and he touched and enlightened many lives.”

Sujal was the 2009 recipient of PHR’s Emerging Leader Award, presented at the 2009 National Student Conference, in recognition of his dedication to human rights advocacy. Sujal’s untimely death is a loss not only for those who knew and loved him but for the thousands whose lives his work would have doubtless touched as a leading human rights activist.

Congratulations to the new Student Advisory Board members!

• Alexandra Coria, M3, Dartmouth Medical School
• Lakshmi Krishnan, M2, John Hopkins University School of Medicine
• Mona Singh, M3, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University
• Shaheja Sitafwalla, M2, Rush Medical College
• Fiona Somers, M3, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine

They will join these continuing SAB members:

• Jake Imber, M4, University of Kansas Medical Center
• Aliza Norwood, M4, University of Texas School of Medicine at San Antonio
• Sujal Parikh will be doing a Fogarty Fellowship in Uganda before returning to the University of Michigan Medical School for his fourth year.

PHR would like to sincerely thank the graduating SAB members who have devoted so much time, critical thought, and energy to the ongoing improvement of the National Student Program:

• Ali Khan, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University has matched in Internal Medicine at Yale University.
• Saranya Kurapati, Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine will pursue a Master’s degree at Harvard.
• Katie Ratzan, Dartmouth Medical School has matched in Pediatrics at the University of Michigan.
• Sohil Sud, Tufts University School of Medicine has matched in Internal Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

Are you interested in demonstrating your leadership in PHR? Apply now to become a Regional Chapter Mentor or a Regional Training Coordinator.

Have five minutes to help right now? Fill out an evalution survey for the 2009-2010 National Student Program.

Want to provide national leadership to PHR’s National Student Program? Apply to join the PHR Student Advisory Board (SAB)!

The SAB is a national board of 7 or 8 students. The role of a Student Advisory Board member is:

1. to serve as a liaison to student chapters within a certain geographic region, and
2. to provide strategic and operational advice to the mission and direction of the National Student Program.

An SAB member is expected to be engaged in the development of the Student Program by completing his/her assigned duties, maintaining open lines of communication, and actively seeking areas for improvement in the National Program. These expectations include:

1. attendance at a Student Advisory Board retreat in early July,
2. attendance and involvement in the Student National Conference in early 2011, and
3. participation in monthly conference calls (with a maximum of three missed over the course of the year).

Please apply only if you feel you can meet these commitments. Other leadership roles are available for students who are not on the SAB, including Regional Mentors.

The application must be submitted to phr.sab[at]gmail[dot]com no later than Tuesday, March 29, 2010. Those selected for an interview will be contacted by Friday, April 2. Interviews will take place by phone or in person.

Questions? Please contact Jake Imber at jimber[at]kumc[dot]edu.

Please consider applying to the SAB. Your leadership can shape the course of PHR’s National Student Program.

On behalf of PHR’s National Student Advisory Board, I’d like to welcome all of you to the launch of the 2009-2010 Student Program. I’m confident that you will find the National Student Program to be a home for your passion for health and human rights! As a member of the Student Program, you benefit from having a program and peer-network dedicated solely to helping you grow and contribute as an advocate, along with the expertise of PHR’s network of internationally recognized health and human rights leaders.

As health professional students, we are uniquely poised to advocate for patients both domestically and abroad. Together we can bring our collective passion, knowledge and expertise to our classrooms, our clinics and our Congress. Having been involved with PHR for over six years, as a staff member and now as a medical student at Loyola, I can unequivocally say that this will be our most important year yet. At this moment, we have an opportunity to profoundly shape the way our present and future generations think about health and human rights. We have a phenomenal year planned, filled with opportunities to strengthen and expand your role as health and human rights advocates, as well as connect with mentors and peers all across the country.

As the academic year gets underway, the Advisory Board recommends these three simple ways to start this year strongly:

1. Get to know your fellow chapter members, both as individuals and as advocates. Many chapters are holding informal potlucks to get to know one another, discuss their goals as a chapter and develop action plans for the year.
2. Sign up for your upcoming Regional Advocacy Institute. These institutes can better your understanding of some of PHR’s priority issues, further develop your advocacy skills and foster collaboration between chapters in your region.
3. Learn about all the resources available to your chapter! The strongest chapters have a good sense of their strengths, connections, and resources. As your chapter core begins to brainstorm activity ideas, be sure to check out what resources the Student Program provides, and use this guide to assess additional resources available within your chapter, on your campus and in your community.

Finally, the Student Advisory Board members, Training Coordinators, Chapter Mentors, and, of course, Danielle, are always here to help! Don’t forget to keep in touch with us so we can offer advice and assistance for all that you are doing. Email Danielle to contact me or any of the other volunteer leaders. We are excited to support all your ideas, your creativity and your commitment to advancing health and human rights!