Health disparities found for Baltimore Latinos

Health disparities found for Baltimore Latinos

A Change of Heart: "Abstinence-Only Plus" Sexual Education

By Alexa Mieses

When I read an article this morning in the the Texas Tribune about abstinence-only sexual education, I was reminded of my work at Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) in 2009. While working for GMHC's public policy department, I had an opportunity to research various policy issues, write articles, voter's guides and policy briefs. One brief I wrote was on abstinence-only sexual education funds drying up, and President Obama replacing them with evidence-based sexual education. Former US President/Texas Governor George W. Bush was known for supporting public school sexual education programs that encouraged children and adolescents to refrain from having sex; such program did not teach the science behind conception and sexually transmitted infections, nor about condoms and other contraceptives. Studies have even found that children taught abstinence-only, tend to have more gender-biased attitudes, have higher rates of teenage pregnancy and certain sexually transmitted infections. Despite President Obama's support for comprehensive sexual education programs, the Texas health department did not apply for federal funding that would help get these programs off the ground and into Texas public schools.



The Tribune article describes a recent trend in Texas to implement "abstinence-plus" sexual education. While abstinence is still encouraged, children in the seventh and eighth grade will also learn about condoms and other forms of contraception and protection from sexually transmitted infections. This change of heart is the result of an increasingly large number of teenage girls becoming pregnant and growing statistics of contraction of sexually transmitted infections among adolescents, within the state. While we all hope people engage in sex only when they are mature mentally as well as physically, it is not realistic to assume all teenagers will abstain from sex until marriage. Instead, it is better to empower them with the tools (mental and physical tools) to take charge of their sexual health and act responsibly.

Annual Medical Education Conference 2011

By Jasmine Cruz

AMEC 2011 Premed Luncheon

From Left to Right (top): Alexa Mieses, Martha Du (Hunter MAPS)

From Left to Right (bottom): Felicia Green, Jasmine Cruz, Anevay Robinson

The 2011 Annual Medical Education Conference (AMEC) was held from April 20-24, 2011, in Indianapolis, Indiana. When I first learned that AMEC would be held in Indianapolis I was apprehensive because I thought nothing could top AMEC 2010 in Chicago. However, AMEC is an opportunity to meet students from your MAPS region to collaborate and share ideas. I met other premedical and medical students, doctors, and deans from across the country. Overall, AMEC is an opportunity to surround yourself with other students who share your goals.

I was part of a small group of CCNY MAPS members fortunate to attend the conference a second year (due to decreased funding). Since becoming an executive board member in 2010, this conference was a bit different for me than last year. At this conference, I was able to get involved with the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) at the national level. This year our chapter was very active during the House of Delegates and regional meetings. We discussed pressing issues, and voted candidates into office for the upcoming year.

The good thing about attending AMEC is that it keeps you focused. Throughout the academic year it is easy to get sidetracked or even discouraged by the chaos of school and work. When I attend the SNMA conference I feel motivated and I cannot wait to go home to get involved in MAPS. AMEC rejuvenates my passion for MAPS. In Indianapolis this year, I also learned more about being a doctor of osteopathic medicine and gained new contacts. I also had the opportunity to work on my personal essay and some of us participated in mock interviews.

MAPS Chapter of the Year 2011

AMEC 2011 Final Banquet

From Left to Right: Alexa Mieses, Anevay Robinson, Felicia Green, Jasmine Cruz

I truly loved being AMEC this year despite my initial expectations. It gave me the chance to get to better know my MAPS team locally, regionally and nationally. Also, our MAPS chapter at City College took home the title of Chapter of the Year! Not only did we congratulate Queens College for winning in 2010, but former President Alexa Mieses set a goal for us to win chapter of the year in 2011...and we succeeded! Region IX took the title home two years in a row! We work hard all year round and were fortunate to see our efforts pay off!

Patient Simulator

By Julian Gonzalez

On March 3, 2011 MAPS traveled to Mount Sinai School of Medicine (MSSM) to check out some of the school’s state-of-the-art patient simulators. First, it needs to be said that MSSM is beautiful! There are a lot of windows with natural light, couches strewn about—it is simply gorgeous. Also, students at Mount Sinai get to live in the city, which is often a big priority on many medical school applicants’ lists of priorities, but back to the simulators!

At MSSM, we worked with current anesthesiology residents. They taught us how to insert a breathing tube into someone who required CPR through the use of real instruments and a mannequin. Although I did a better job choking the poor mannequin, we eventually all learned. The strange part was how rough you actually have to be to insert the tube. Also, as with anything in the human body, many things can do wrong such as the tongue blocking the airway, tearing the inner lining of the trachea, or simply forgetting to deflate the small balloon that initially keeps the tube in place. The mannequin was set up so that if proper intubation was complete, the lungs would inflate and deflate accordingly.

Next, we practiced placing an intravenous line into a thin plastic tube to simulate phlebotomy of real human blood vessels. Again, I practically killed my patient but the good news is I’m not yet a physician! Though I hope it never happens once I become a physician, I can see why it is hard to stick someone who is donating blood (a scenario that as a donator, I know all too well). I tip my hat to my fellow MAPS members who successfully placed a line on the first try! It took me six times—yikes!

Lastly, we worked with the full body patient simulator. It was simply amazing to say the least. The patient simulator is essentially a full-body mannequin with a pulse, body temperature and other real vital signs. It can be hooked up to the real machines that are used in hospitals such as an O2 Saturation reader, EKG machine, pulse monitor, and can event respond to injections of various drugs. The simulator detects all the medicine, and can have the expected or adverse effects. Furthermore, you can see and sense many other details of the simulator, such as body temperature increasing or decreasing by touching the skin, seeing the pupils dilate or constrict based on illness, and see the diaphragm descend or ascend as it breathes. The simulator was extremely life-like. This taste of what medical students and physicians do makes me even more eager to start medical school!

Harlem, Take Care of Yourself 2011

By Alexa Mieses

On May 14, 2011 I felt as though our event, the Harlem, Take Care of Yourself Health Fair, had come full circle. So much had changed, yet so much remained the same. I remember when I was the Secretary of MAPS in 2009, our event attracted less than ten members from the Harlem community (yes, you read right)! MAPS worked furiously planning the event and while we may not have had the turnout for which we had hoped, we at least laid out a clear and distinct framework to follow the following year (with special effort from former MAPS President Maurice Selby). Our theme was and continues to be "education, legislation and participation," as we focus on health from these three angles. That year, Dr. Lynne Holden of Mentoring in Medicine, Inc. accepted the Bynoe-Thomas Memorial Award and Senator Bill Perkins and Council Member Robert Jackson addressed the guests.

By 2010, after being elected President and inspired by my summer position at Gay Men's Health Crisis, I suggested MAPS devote our second annual event to HIV education and prevention. HIV/AIDS is one of the leading causes of death among Harlem residents and black women. With old fashioned team work and the creation of various planning committees, MAPS was able to host over thirty organizations and over 100 community members from Harlem and Washington Heights. We had increased our turnout by twenty-fold!

Last week I stood outdoors at the City College Quad to begin the opening remarks on a gray and windy day. We had prayed for sunshine all week but could live with potential rain as long as we were actually spared the precipitation. What started off as a slow and dreary day turned out to be our best event yet!

HTCY 2011: Healthy Youth, Healthier Tomorrow, welcomed over 200 members of the Upper Manhattan community as we focused on pediatric/adolescent health. We welcomed pediatrician Dr. Andre Gray as he answered guests' questions and advised them on ways to remain healthy. Council Member Jackson attended the event, just as he did in 2009. This year he accepted the Bynoe-Thomas Memorial Award for his efforts to improve public education and contributions to the Upper Manhattan community. The Department of Parks and Recreation hosted a Zumba workshop and LatinFX hosted a dance workshop. We had successfully continued the theme of education, legislation and participation! The CCNY Middle Eastern Dance and Music Club performed, in addition to vocalist Jami Jackson and the LatinFX dancers. Coloring, face painting, food and give-aways were provided.

Bynoe-Thomas Memorial Award

From Left to Right: MAPS President Alexa Mieses; Council Member Robert Jackson;

MAPS Faculty Advisor Michael Samms

At the end of the day on May 14, it finally hit me: this would be my last HTCY health fair as a MAPS member/leader. I feel so lucky to have been a part of the event's evolution and grateful to have had the opportunity to work with people that are just as dedicated as I to serving the community. The event united students, health care professionals, children, parents, politicians and performers, for the same goal, to make a difference in Harlem. In just two short years, I believe we did.

MAPS Members Pose After the Event

To be a part of the event, email: HarlemTakeCare@gmail.com

Third Annual

Harlem, Take Care of Yourself

Health Fair

"Healthy Youth, Healthier Tomorrow"

Saturday, May 14, 2011

12 PM - 4 PM

The Quad at City College

139th Street and Amsterdam Avenue

New York, NY 10031

Guests will enjoy:

• Free health services/info
• Free food
• Free entertainment
• Free iPod give-aways

Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students

By Alexa MiesesI became an honors research associate at City College in January 2010. I work in a neuroscience laboratory with Dr. Jay Edelman. My current project examines the effect visual instructions have on express saccades (short, jerky eye movements made in response to an auditory or visual stimulus). Last week I had the pleasure of traveling to Charlotte, NC to give a poster presentation on my project at the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS).

While this was my first time at a national research conference, I can confidently say that it was amazing! I presented early in the week which was great because it allowed me to enjoy the rest of the conference's program without worry. Presenting was an adventure all its own. The night before my presentation other students and I gathered in the hotel room and practiced. The next day I set up my poster and waited patiently for conference attendees to swarm the exhibit hall. It did not take long before high school, college and graduate students asked me about my work. It felt so great to be able to speak confidently about my work and share with others what I have learned in the lab!

While my poster presentation was a personal conference highlight, every day welcomed keynote speakers and lecturers that sparked everyone's interest and enthusiasm. Here are just a few of the great minds that presented at the conference: Dr. Irene Pepperberg from Harvard University discussed communicative abilities of gray parrots; MacArthur "Genius" fellow Dr. Carolyn Bertozzi discussed imaging the glycome with bioorthogonal chemistry; City College's very own Dr. Jerry Guyden discussed thymic nurse cells; Johns Hopkins' Dr. Lisa Cooper discussed the doctor-patient relationship and its role in health disparities; Dr. Francis Collins, Director of NIH, discussed opportunities in biomedical research.

Dr. Jerry Guyden

Dr. Neil Tyson

There were two presentations I especially enjoyed. Hayden Planetarium Director, Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson's presentation about the universe was interesting. With humor and poise, Dr. Tyson touched on everything from life on Mars to black holes; from the rings of saturn to dark energy. Dr. Tyson wonderfully makes astrophysics and astronomy accessible to the public. Last, but certainly not least, Dr. Maya Angelou spoke with us and stressed the importance of scientists embracing the arts! In addition to all of this, the conference hosted a three-day exhibition/recruitment fair featuring dozens of graduate programs, medical schools and research institutions; each day was also studded with various professional development workshops.

ABRCMS celebrated its tenth anniversary and truly did so with a bang. Over 3,000 participants registered for the conference and over 1,000 students presented. I personally celebrated my first research endevour, and I am so excited to continue to pursue research! ABRCMS featured distinguished guest speakers, an extensive recruitment fair, useful professional development workshops and allowed the "nerds of color," (as one keynote speaker joked) to gather and exchange ideas. I told you it was amazing!

Dr. Maya Angelou