The Buzz at Booth 628
09.12.09
From knee-high pink stockings and spandex to Michael Jackson’s famous white glove, the atmosphere was vibrant and ebullient at the massive downtown Kansas City Convention Center. Add to the mix The Spazmatics, an 80’s cover band, and what you’ve got is one serious tribute to all things 80’s. Welcome to the first day of the 2009 AAFP National Conference for Residents and Students! What could’ve been mistaken as an 80’s convention filled with fanatic Breakfast Club devotees was instead the orientation/registration day to our annual conference. As Los Angeles natives, we, of course, dressed the part, and donned white gloves and sunglasses of our own. The outfit was low-budget, extremely easy to put together, and very well received – a testament to our collective creative stretch unbound by our limited means.
Students who made the trek to Kansas City caught a glimpse of a day in the life of a family medicine resident. Roughly 1,600 of this country’s finest primary care supporters were on hand to inaugurate this year’s recruiting season and to whet the appetite of prospective family physicians. They got to hear all about what would be in store for our specialty in the future.
Here’s the breakdown: approximately 700 medical students and 850 residents were registered participants. More than 300 residency programs were represented in the Exhibition Hall where colorful poster displays lined the aisles sectioned by state.
Booth 628, which belonged to our residency, Harbor UCLA Family Medicine, was located across from an email station in the heart of California row and boasted a tall, seamless blue and yellow cornucopia of goodness – information about different programs, services, fellowships, and unique curriculum that we had to offer. The traffic through our booth was almost as busy as the traffic back home in Los Angeles. Tons of eager students, mostly 2nd to 4th years, and even current residents and faculty members, strolled by to see and hear what all the buzz was about.
It was exhilarating to see the prospective candidates so animated, yet so technical and calculating in terms of the questions they brought forth. Yes, it was really an interview for us to see if we fit their bill. Regardless, I was extremely delighted to be surrounded by future family physicians. Our well-represented contingent consisted of my fellow residents – Dr. Evelyn Akinsanmi (R3) & Dr. Tipu Khan (R2), the chief residents – Dr. Dawn Mautner (R4) & Dr. Munish Bakshi (R4), an attending – Dr. Suganya Karuppana (who, by the way, scored a Spazmatics T-shirt and is probably their biggest fan now), and our very own Residency Program Director – Dr. Daniel Castro.
Dr. Castro, who participated in a panel of educators and spoke at a session entitled, “Applying to Residency: From Application to Interview,” was a great example and representative of our program. It’s tough not to pick up on Dr. Castro’s passion for helping the underserved. And after hearing the dynamic speaker, students were all abuzz looking to converse with the Big Kahuna.
But he’s not the only one who is passionate about such a cause. That’s exactly what we’re all about. Our mission is to help the underprivileged and be a patient advocate – working to empower the communities in need. We are the creatively maladjusted individuals who make-do with the limited resources and the non-existent, yet hopefully soon-to-be public option, that Los Angeles County alone offers to those without resources. That’s what makes our residency so unique.
So, if you’re interested in joining our program, well, we say HURRY UP and APPLY!!! The revolution is here and with reform just a step away, it couldn’t be a more exciting time to become a Harbor UCLA Family Medicine resident. For more information, please contact our chief residents at harborfmchiefs@gmail.com or contact our program coordinator Mari Morse at harborfp@aol.com or call 310-534-6221. Happy Hunting and we hope you’ll consider us as a destination on your interview trail!
