Philadelphia Medicine Summer 2019 - 18

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TRYING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE...

A Philadelphia Med Student Reflects on Taking Part
in the Annual AMA House of Delegates Conference
By: Ashley Garcia, MD Candidate, Class of 2020, Drexel University College of Medicine

lthough dementia is one of the great
scourges of the 21st century, conventional allopathic medicine suggests there
is little to prevent this disorder. A review in
the January 2, 2018 issue of Annals of Internal
Medicine indicated as much and it stated in
the accompanying editorial that there is "no
magic bullet." Actually, prevention is neither
magic nor a bullet; it involves biochemistry and
careful consumption of healthy foods while
avoiding toxic ones.
I like to wake up early when I attend the
American Medical Association (AMA) conferences. I like to grab my breakfast and settle into
the section for Pennsylvania student delegates. It
feels like the calm before the storm. Before long,
students from across the nation will pack the
room and you'll hear the quiet buzz of students
preparing their arguments, while others debate
our section's policies on the microphone. The
passion and excitement in the room builds with
every deliberation, leaving attendees inspired
and enthusiastic about the future of medicine.
In this room, we not only fight for the future
of medicine, but we become better educated
patient advocates and future doctors.
Resolutions this year covered everything from collaborating
with underrepresented student organizations, to setting a minimum
age limit for tackle football, and ensuring fair drug pricing in the
United States. The resolution that stood out to me this year was
Late Resolution 1. This resolution called for transparency by the

18 Philadelphia Medicine : Summer 2019

Department of Defense in regard to cuts of
17,000 health care providers. It asked the AMA
to lobby Congress for a study to assess the
impact on health care for our service members
and their families. Additionally, it supported
protecting military residency and fellowships
to ensure continued quality health care for this
population. The resolution passed the medical
student section with no debate necessary and
was sent on to the House of Delegates.
I felt proud to be part of the medical
student section after passing the Late Resolution. The authors had worked long hours to
research, support, and draft their resolution.
They tackled a cause they believed in despite
knowing there may be risks to their military
careers. They spoke to mentors and were
careful to support their resolution in a way
that protected not only their position, but
also the well-being of their patients and
peers. The room erupted with applause when
the resolution passed. We were proud of the
authors and proud to bring this resolution to
the House of Delegates.
The AMA conference isn't just about parliamentary procedure and policy decisions though.
This year we had more than 20 students from Pennsylvania attend the
meeting, which can be difficult for students as we manage our school
schedules and finances. Having such a high turnout made for a great
discussion about future programming ideas and shared challenges
for engaging members. Our Pennsylvania meeting concluded with

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Philadelphia Medicine Summer 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Philadelphia Medicine Summer 2019