The Institute will address a number of topics that are relevant to students: the research and advocacy of PHR, how students can contribute, the resources available to Chapters (like the new Toolkits), and the new online community (everyone in your Chapter should register!). This weekend, the Midwestern Regional Advocacy Institute took place in Chicago, and they covered a lot of the same topics. Chapters from all over the Midwest connected and shared resources, ideas, and plans.

For me, the most prominent issue is Health and Human Rights Education (HHRE), which Jake already identified as our number one priority for the year. We need to identify ways to implement HHRE, provide support for our chapter leaders as they spearhead curricular initiatives, and ultimately come up with an evidence base for the importance of HHRE in medical education.

HHRE initiatives could range from health and human rights electives (something that we are currently implementing at my school, as part of the preclinical public health course) to colloquia on human rights and justice issues as they pertain to health. Health and human rights issues could also be incorporated into academic inquiry – as medical students, our research, whether basic sciences, translational, clinical, public health, or something else, would only be enriched by an awareness and understanding of human rights issues. I could go on ad infinitum about the benefits of HHRE, but I’ll end for now.

At the Institute, I look forward to collaborating with other Mid-Atlantic and Southern chapters, and working with fellow SABer Mona Singh at VCU College of Medicine, to bring the goals of National Student Program in alignment with those of our individual chapters.

Keep on fighting the good fight!

Because it is such a busy time of year, and to give all interested students enough time to apply, we’re extending the application deadline by one week to May 31, 2010.

If you’re interested in drawing on your experience, insight, and creativity to inform the work of other Chapters in your region— Northeast, Midwest, West, South, and Mid-Atlantic — and to strengthen the National Student Program, please consider applying.

Visit the original post for more information and to download the application forms.

You.

Please consider applying to become a Regional Chapter Mentor or a Regional Training Coordinator.

Both Regional Chapter Mentors and Regional Training Coordinators will work with Chapters in their region ­­­­— Northeast, Midwest, West, South, and Mid-Atlantic — to strengthen the National Student Program and improve their region’s experience and impact.

Regional Chapter Mentors offer critical peer-to-peer support, advice, and problem-solving assistance to their region’s student Chapters, and help student Chapter leaders advance their Chapter development and activities. Regional Chapter Mentors provide the personal communication and online presence to ensure the chapters feel supported, appreciated, and connected to one another and to the National Student Program.

Regional Training Coordinators ensure that PHR’s National Student Program offers effective trainings in health and human rights advocacy. Regional Training Coordinators work with the National Student Program Coordinator to plan, run, and follow up on an engaging Regional Advocacy Institute. Therefore, the bulk of the work will be done August through November. Regional Training Coordinators will also support the regional community by supporting PHR’s direct communication and online presence.

Use your creativity, sense of humor, ability to organize, and dedication to human rights to serve as a liaison between your region’s Chapters, the PHR offices in Cambridge, and the halls of legislature.

Please complete the following applications and send them to applications[at]phrusa[dot]org by Monday, May 24 Monday, May 31. You can also contact me with any questions!

Help make sure we get a great crowd by inviting all of your friends who may be interested, via email or our Facebook group!

Here is some key information to help you prepare to for the Institutes:

Mid-Atlantic Institute (Washington DC)

The Mid-Atlantic Institute will take place in Ross Hall, 2300 Eye Street, at George Washington University. Make sure you’re there by 10:00am to hear the opening presenter, Leonard Rubenstein, JD, Visiting Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center for Human Rights and Public Health and former President of PHR!

• Mid-Atlantic Agenda
• Guide to Getting There, including helpful info on transit and accommodations.
• Address and Directions
• Sample Email Invitation to easily invite your friends

Northeast Institute (Boston, MA)

The Northeast Institute will take place by the Tosteson Medical Education Center (TMEC) at Harvard Medical School. Make sure you’re there by 10:00am to hear the opening presenter, Helen Potts, PHR’s Chief Health Program Officer and former Senior Research Officer UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health.

• Northeast Agenda
• Guide to Getting There, including helpful info on transit and accommodations.
• Address and Directions
• Sample Email Invitation to easily invite your friends

I also want to personally introduce the amazing Regional Training Coordinators, who made these Institutes possible and are a great resource to those who will attend:

• Regan Gage, George Washington University (M3). Regan has been actively involved with PHR since she began medical school in 2007and is also a part of the national leadership of Medical Students for Choice, a group working to preserve women’s reproductive rights. Her interests lie in advancing sex education and healthcare in the adolescent Latino and immigrant community
• Alexandra Coria, Dartmouth Medical School (M2). Alexandra is planning to pursue a career in pediatric infectious disease. Prior to medical school, she worked for three years as a consultant on high-level communications and advocacy surrounding global health issues, particularly focusing on malaria, childhood pneumonia and meningitis, and vaccine science and financing.

If you have more questions about getting to DC or Boston, or need further location-specific advice, contact me and I will put you in touch with one of these great coordinators.

See you there!

Mid-Atlantic Regional Institute

Hosted by PHR and the George Washington University Student Chapter
Saturday, November 7^th 9:30am-4:30pm
George Washington University, Washington DC (Directions)

Presenter Update: Leonard S. Rubenstein, JD, Visiting Scholar at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center for Human Rights and Public Health, was just confirmed to open the Institute with a session on “Advancing Human Rights in Health Practice.” Read about Leonard’s groundbreaking work on a variety of health and human rights fronts. Check out this Institute’s working agenda to learn more about this educational and engaging day.

Getting to George Washington University: Download information on how to get to Washington, DC, navigate the campus, and invite your friends to the Institute.

Help Us Publicize: With the team of PHR staff and student leaders working to provide a top-notch program, we now need your help to make the training a lively, rewarding experience. Help Publicize the institute to friends, colleagues and classmates:

• Send this email to other campus groups
• Hang up and distribute this flyer around your campus
• Join our Facebook group and invite others to join too

Read our Recruitment Plan and Tips. Remember that recruiting more students to attend the Institute also helps you to recruit new chapter members, build a presence on campus, reach out to other campus groups, boost chapter members’ enthusiasm and involvement, and ensure your chapter members receive great training.

Northeast Regional Institute

Hosted by PHR and the Harvard Student Chapter
Saturday, November 7^th, 9:30am-4:30pm
Harvard Medical School, Boston MA (Directions)

Presenter Update: Physicians for Human Rights’ CEO Frank Donaghue will open the day’s events. Read about Frank’s three decades of experience in the non-profit sector including his extensive work with the American Red Cross before coming to PHR. Helen Potts, PHR’s Chief Health Program Officer, will lead a session that will take attendees through a critical analysis of what the Right to Health means and how it should be applied to the health profession. Learn more about her landmark work as the Senior Research Officer to Paul Hunt, UN Special Rapporteur on the right to the highest attainable standard of health, and check out this Institute’s working agenda.

Getting to Harvard Medical School: Download information on how to get to Boston, navigate the campus, and invite your friends to the Institute.

Help Us Publicize: With the team of PHR staff and student leaders working to provide a top-notch program, we now need your help to make the training a lively, rewarding experience. Help Publicize the institute to friends, colleagues and classmates:

• Send this email to other campus groups
• Hang up and distribute this flyer around your campus
• Join our Facebook group and invite others to join too

Read our Recruitment Plan and Tips. Remember that recruiting more students to attend the Institute also helps you to recruit new chapter members, build a presence on campus, reach out to other campus groups, boost chapter members’ enthusiasm and involvement, and ensure your chapter members receive great training.