EAMSC Taiwan 2016

In 2016, the 29th EAMSC was held in Taipei, Taiwan from 24th – 29th January 2016. The theme for the conference is "Medical Care in the Future- When medicine and technology meet humanity". 

We had 36 Singaporean delegates from NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, NTU Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, as well as Duke-NUS Graduate School of Medicine participating in EAMSC, led by our two Chief Delegates, Low Yi Mei (M1) and Leona Ang (M1).

Our delegates participated not only as general delegates during the conference, but also presented scientific papers, public posters, as well as a movie as part of the academic competition. Not only was it a tremendously fun experience, it was an eye-opening and enriching experience for all our delegates!

EAMSC 2016 Taiwan Adventures Day 3!!!

Never would i have thought that I would be having the opportunity to attend a lecture given by a professional Contemporary Clown!

What is a Contemporary Clown? Well they are pretty much as much as a normal clown that you have grown up knowing but minus the baggy costumes and face-paint and add in a whole lot of teaching of life and moral lessons through laughter and fun. Today our delegates learnt that the environment one grows up in should never determine how the person grows up to become. Our professional clown lecturer grew up in Europe and due to the high occurrence of cancer in his hometown, the place always had a sad and dark atmosphere to it. However, he did not let his environment get the better of him and hence set off to learn the trades of a clown in hopes of bringing back joy and laughter to the sick in his hometown. Now he holds workshops all over the globe to share about his mission to bring smiles and warmth back to the sick all over the world.

After a brief technical tour in National Defense Medical College, where our delegates were showed how 3D printing is used in medical sciences and how virtual reality is a growing medium for rehabilitation, we set off to one of the tallest buildings in the world, Taipei 101. The trip from the lobby of the building to the apex took only 45 seconds on an elevator that was going at 600m/min. Upon reaching the observation deck of the tower, we were greeted with a spectacular view over the city of Taipei. We also were able to see that wind damper that was the core mechanism that was keeping the building firm and upright in spite of the fast winds.

Tomorrow will be the first day of the Academic Competitions and a few of our delegates are going to be participating in it. Here is to wishing them all the best and tune in tomorrow for day 4 of our adventure in Taiwan!

Photo featuring the view from the observatory deck of Taipei 101.

EAMSC 2016 Taiwan Adventure Day 2!!

The adventure continues as our delegates start fresh new day filled with excitement for the day ahead. Breakfast this morning confirmed the fact that the Taiwan hosts are really good at spoiling their guests with great variety of delicious food.

We made our way to National Taiwan University Hospital via the MRT (Metro Rapid Transit) along with the crowd that were rushing to work. If you thought the rush hour crowd in our own MRT is bad, you have yet to witness the impossibility of entering a train packed full of people (Yes even the middle of the carriage) in Taiwan.

After successfully arriving at NTUH in one piece, we were formally welcomed by the host and attended a keynote address by Professor David who talked about how data can save lives and the future of medicine and technology. Our delegates learnt much from the witty professors entertaining and engaging lecture from creating "Star Maps" of disease relations and revisiting the calculation of probability, a skill that most of us have long returned to our math tutor.

Now on to the main highlight of the day for most of us. The Running Man Games. We raced across most of Taipei searching for stations scattered all around, with the aid of nothing more than a few pieces of paper riddled with riddles (see what i did there). The games really allowed us to see Taiwan and what it has to offer in its most natural form, allowing us to soak up the ambiance of National Taiwan University with its scenic archaic building and architecture, smell and taste the "chou dou fu" (Smelly beancurd) in the night market and also watchers as peddlers rush about to avoid the police.

For some of us, the night ended with a hike up "elephant hill" . Upon reaching the observation deck and almost dying in trying to do so, we were rewarded with a beautiful view of the city lights of Taiwan and the majestic 101 Tower.

Now our delegates have retired into their rooms to rest and prepare for tomorrows activities which include a tour to the National Defense Medical College and the Taipei 101. Check back tomorrow for more!

Photo credit : Keith Low (Treasurer, 6th Exco AMSA Singapore)

EAMSA 2016 The Journey Begins!!!

On 24th January 2016, we, a group of 36 excited medical students from AMSA Singapore touched down in Taiwan International Airport to begin our 6 day 5 night journey at EAMSC 2016 Taiwan. Greeted by the smiles and enthusiasm of our GMs here in Taiwan, we were then brought to Chientan Overseas Youth Activity Center to register and check into our lodgings for the week to come. After a hearty welcome dinner filled with scrumptious food and great performances, some of us were able to find time to visit the Shilin Night Market to experience the night life and famous Taiwan street snacks. Pigging down on Shilin fried chicken cutlet at 4 degrees Celsius is definitely something we wont get to experience everyday. Stay tuned for more updates of the adventure as we visit Taiwan's National University Hospital, National Defense Medical College and Taipei Medical University for tours, workshops,competitions and even playing Running Man in the streets of Taiwan!

East Asian Medical Students’ Conference, 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