28th EAMSC, Exchange of Understandings

Dear People of Tomorrow,

one of two annual forums of AMSA International, The 28th East Asian Medical Students Conference, has just been held in January 10th- 15th 2015. This year’s EAMSC took place in Jakarta, Indonesia. As many as 17 chapters of AMSA International sent a total of 268 bright and brilliant delegates to join the conference. They came from all over the world to obtain new experiences, to widen their knowledge, and to make new friends coming from different background and culture.

The main focus of the 28th EAMSC is STI (Sexually Transmitted Infections): Halt the Disease, Help the People. As we know, nowadays STI has become our most concerned health issue, ultimately in developing countries in South and South-East Asia. The infections are spreading widely, and many times, people, even health care providers, mistreat patients with STI. Halt the Disease, Help the People. We, as the future health care provider, should begin to think the most proper way to overcome, or at least to restrain the infections. More importantly, we should understand better the infections, in order not to mistreat patients with STI. We need to aid them to find the strength to live up their life.

During six-days-experience, the delegates gained uncountable memories and experiences. First day activity was purposely arranged to make the delegates familiar with each other. Then on the next day, the delegates were given lectures and workshop mainly about STI by ones who mastered the field, such as Dr. Jyothi Somani, MD. FACP, Senior Consultant and Dr. dr. Wresti Indriatmi B. MAKES, Sp. KK (K), M. Epid. At the workshop, the delegates learned to do circumcision. Having received the lectures and workshop, the delegates were invited to discuss shortly about STI.

The third day was the time for contestants of the Academic Competition to show off their posters, papers, and videos. On the following day, the delegates enthusiastically attended the cultural workshop at Taman Mini Indonesia Indah. There they learned some of Indonesian culture, such as Saman dance, Angklung, etc. After that, they came to Museum Bank Indonesia, there they did not merely look around and see things. The delegates were told to carry out some games, like playing Night at the Museum.

On the fifth day, the delegates were brought to Siloam Hospital Lippo Village, Mochtar Riady Institute for Nanotechnology (MIRN), Siloam General Hospital, and Siloam Mochtar Riady Comprehensive Cancer Centre to pay a hospital visit. MIRN is the leading research institute for nanomedicines focusing on oncology. Not only that, all the delegates were also given the chance to come down the streets. They carried out community service by doing a health campaign to raise the awareness of the society on STI. Because we hope by passing the message of halt the disease, help the people to more people, the impact will be bigger and can actually be felt by society. Unknowingly, the end was coming closer, and that night they enjoyed the farewell party. It was also the cultural night, where the delegates performed their culture, while learning the cultures coming from other countries. And surely, they did not forget to exchange goodbyes and gifts.

At last, the final day has come. On every encounter, comes another goodbye. It was already the time to say the actual goodbye, while hoping to see each other in the future, either by pure coincidence or by careful plan.

Yogyakarta, January 2015

Article by Aulia Shafira

Delegation AMSA-UGM 2014/2015