Asian Medical Students'Association Conferences
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Asian Medical Students' Conference
The Asian Medical Students’ Conference is an annual conference of the Asian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA International) that involves the participation of hundreds of medical students from as many as 20 local chapters around the Asia-Pacific region.
The objective of AMSC lies in creating a platform for a strong, global network of medical students, who as future medical practitioners, will explore and develop their academic knowledge, cultural appreciation and interpersonal skills.
It comprises of three main aspects: academic, cultural and social programs. This event allows medical students from AMSA chapters to congregate, discuss and present their projects and research which were conducted based on the theme agreed upon for the conference that year. In addition, delegates can also experience different traditions and customs through the cultural events organised throughout course of the conference, and gives students an opportunity to network and build lifelong friendships with future doctors across Asia, regardless of nationality, ethnicity or race.
The conference is held annually at the middle of each year (late June to July period) and is hosted by a local AMSA chapter in one of their main cities.
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EAst Asian Medical Students' Conference
The East Asian Medical Students’ Conference, is an annual conference hosted by various cities around East Asia. It aims to inspire delegates to become active in the amelioration of global healthcare problems through networking with other medical students from the East Asian region. More recently, it has expanded to involve delegates from all AMSA-International chapters allowing the exchange of ideas, knowledge and cultural understanding.
The EAMSC continues to inspire medical students to analyse global health issues more closely and to utilise the role of medical students in the promotion of public health. It challenges students to think beyond what is learnt at university through various academic and cultural activities which explore a nominated conference theme.
The conference is held annually at the beginning of each year (January period), and is hosted by a local AMSA chapter in one of their main cities.
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Our Experiences...
EAMSC Taiwan 2016
One of the greatest takeaways from EAMSC Taiwan 2016 would be the countless bonds formed with medical students from all over the world. It was really interesting to hear about the different methods other medical schools used to impart the same medical knowledge. I also got to appreciate the different pedagogy and education structure in the different countries.
Despite it being my third trip to Taiwan, I still managed to find more places to explore there. The fun leisure activities organized allowed me to see the beauty of Taiwan in the mere few days we spent there. It gave delegates a platform to interact and bond over shared experiences. The Taiwanese were great hosts and were ever so kind to share with us the interesting places and the famous food hotspots around the city.
As future doctors, it is paramount that we understand the importance of humanity in medicine. As technology advances, we increasingly rely more on it to enhance our capabilities to heal people. However, let us not forget what only fellow humans may extend to each other that machine cannot; the human touch. Overall, it has been an insightful conference and I am thankful to have had the opportunity to attend EAMSC Taiwan 2016.
Yap Hong Wei, Year 2
EAMSC Indonesia 2015
The East Asian Medical Students’ Conference (EAMSC) is an event hosted by Asian Medical Student’s Association (International) annually. This year, I am greatly thankful for the opportunity to participate in the 28th conference hosted in Tangerang, West Jakarta, Indonesia, with the main theme of Sexually Transmitted Infections - “Halt the Disease, Help the People”.
Upon our arrival at Jakarta Airport, we were welcomed by the warm smiles of the event organisers and the general moderators for the conference. We were then transferred to our hotel (Ibis Hotel Garding Serpong) to meet our conference group mates for the first time. It was truly an illuminating experience to meet a coalition of medical students from all around the region with diverse cultures, lifestyles and backgrounds.
The next morning, we were sharply woken up by loud knockings on our door in the wee hours of the morning. It was only 5.00am and I could foresee a long list of exciting activities lined up for us. The day continued with keynote lectures given by international speakers from the World Health Organisation. They provided us with an informative overview of the epidemiology and global issues of STIs, together with the ways we could approach this growing problem. This was followed by various academic workshops which provided us with an insightful hands-on experience on circumcision and the examination of vaginal discharge - an opportunity that I would not have had otherwise as a Year 1 medical student.
One of the main highlights of the conference was undoubtedly the academic competition where delegates from different chapters would exchange their knowledge about health, epidemiology. We also discussed the solutions that can be implemented to deal with the expounding health problems related to STIs. Through their hardwork and dedication, the Singapore team managed to come in Third Place for both the academic paper and public poster competition.
Personally, my favourite activities from the conference would be the International Booths and the Cultural Night events. Not only were we given a chance to taste the traditional food, we were also audiences to the unique and well-choreographed performances of the different nations. Dressed in Red and White, we brought some of our famous mouth-watering local delicacies such as pineapple tarts, love letters, kachang puteh and even the popular Tiger Beer for sharing. As I am sure many of my other delegates would agree with me, food does bring people together. I really enjoyed mingling and making new friends while learning more about the stories behind the common food in their countries and the delicious delicacies - a true reflection of the diverse cultures brought together in this very conference.
This being my first medical conference, I was not sure of what to expect initially. However, I am glad that I took the chance and signed up for this conference. The whole experience was a truly fulfilling and meaningful one; from having gained valuable medical knowledge and skills applicable to Singapore’s healthcare landscape, to creating fond memories and priceless friendships throughout.
Having returned to Singapore to prepare for the new semester, I would often see pictures of the conference with the caption #PostConferenceSyndrome, reminding me of the wonderful times we had back at the conference. I really miss you guys, and I look forward to seeing you all again at the upcoming Asian Medical
Gerald Fung, Year 2