EAMSC 2021 Communication in Healthcare: Sending the Right Message was held with the objective to educate the members of AMSA International about different communication strategies and the importance of proper communication. This conference was held from 5 to 10 January 2021, hosted by AMSA Philippines and was held virtually. Before the conference, the first live-streamed Executive Board Meeting was held on 3 January 2020 where the bidding for EAMSC 2022 was conducted, and the Pre-Conference Session was held on 4 January 2020.
On the 1st day, the delegates attended the Opening Ceremony to kickstart the EAMSC 2021, continued with the AMSA International Presentation Session, the introduction of AMSA Philippines, and the Keynote Panel Session, which is a presentation by various speakers from various agencies and institutions. In the Keynote Panel Session, the speakers emphasised the importance of intersectional equity, collective actions within our community, and being wary of providing and seeking proper context and truth in communication. Social Activity #1 was also conducted, where the delegates bonded with their group mates with a “Put a Finger Down” game so they get to know each other casually. The 1st day concluded with the Regional Chairperson Meeting.
Every day, the delegates participated in the Icebreaking Session, which was conducted to help the delegates know each other better. The Ice Breaking Session was held in each of the groups’ Zoom meeting, led by the group moderators. After the Icebreaking Session, the delegates continued to the Cultural Workshop #1. Before the conference, every delegate may choose the workshops that they preferred. The Cultural Workshop consists of Baybayin learning where the delegates learned about one of the oldest Philippines manuscript, Puni learning where the delegates learned to create a traditional art using coconut leaves, Merienda Tayo where the group brought favourite local snacks and talked about their own countries’ delicacies, and Bisayan language learning where delegates learned basic Bisayan greetings, words, and phrases. The delegates were divided into groups and attended the workshop based on their preferences. After break time, the delegates continued to the Cultural Workshop #2 which consists of a fitness programme called Zoomba, basic Filipino language learning, and short movie viewing and discussion.
The Icebreaking Session on the 3rd day was the “Trivia Quiz” game, where the group moderators gave trivia quizzes about AMSA International and nice-to-know cultural activities around the world. Next, the delegates continued to Parallel Session #1, which was also a session that the delegates were free to choose before the conference. The Parallel Session was a series of lectures that aim to dissect the various aspects of health communication and to highlight several key applications of its principles. The lectures consist of several topics, including Dr. Google and Health Misinformation by Dr. Iris Thiele Isip-Tan, Health Informatics by Dr. Alvin Marcelo, Health Research by Dr. Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno III, Medicine and Advocacy by Dr. Winlove Mojica, and Sustainability for Projects Involving Health Information and Dissemination by Dr. Bryan Albert Lim. After break time, the delegates continued to Parallel Session #2 which consists of a presentation about Bridging the Generational Gap by Dr. Jason Ligot, Health Policy by Prof. Roderick Salenga, Medicine and Humanities by Dr. Joey Tabula, and Visual Gestural Communication by Dennis Rhoneil Balan. Following Parallel Session #2 was the Processing and Reflection Session which was held in each of the groups’ Zoom meetings. In this session, each delegate shared the knowledge and opinion they got from today’s session with each other.
The academic competition consists of the Scientific Paper and Poster Competition, White Paper Competition, Public Infographic Competition and Video Infomercial Competition. The Scientific Poster Presentation and the White Paper Presentation were held on the 4th day. The 8 finalists of the Scientific Poster Competition, each represented by 1-2 presenters, were given 7 minutes to expound on their posters. The judges for this part of the competition were Dr. Portia Grace Fernandez-Marcelo, Dr. Romelei Camiling-Alfonso, and Dr. Vincente Belizario Jr. After a short 15-minute break, the academic session proceeded with the presentation of the White Paper Competition finalists. The 5 finalists, each represented by 1-3 presenters, were given 10 minutes to talk about their research. Judging this part of the competition were Dr. Gideon Lasco, Dr. Gene Nisperos, and Dr. Carolina Linda L. Tapia.
On the next day, the delegates attended the last Icebreaking Session which is a “Guess the Song” game, where the group moderators played famous songs and the delegates must guess the title of the song. After that, the delegates continued to the Design Thinking Plenary and Design Thinking Workshop, where the delegates were given a case vignette about the COVID-19 pandemic situation. The goal of this session was for the delegates to be able to provide innovative ways to improve existing programmes and strategies, apply critical thinking, and understand the importance of the healthcare system in its entirety and its effect on healthcare delivery services. The delegates were encouraged to discuss, analyse, and provide reasonable solutions for the given situation. After the discussion, the delegates created a PowerPoint and presented their discussion result in the Design Thinking Presentation Session.
On the last day, the delegates took part in Social Activity #2, which was Speed Dating where delegates were randomly broken out into 4-6 person per group and they had to talk about a specific topic that was provided. This activity was meant to give an avenue for the delegates to talk with the other delegates outside their group mates. The event continued with the Closing Ceremony, where the winners of the academic competitions were awarded. Here are the winners of the Academic Competitions:
Winners of the Scientific Paper & Poster Competition:
- 1st Place: Izza Amalia Putri from AMSA Indonesia
- 2nd Place: Catherine Lam and Serena Yue from AMSA Hong Kong
- 3rd Place: Joelle Tan, Victoria Leong, Rachel Teo Wei Ling, and Christopher Mark Kuek from AMSA Singapore
Winners of the White Paper Competition:
- 1st Place: Rem dela Cruz, Mark Vincent dela Cruz, and Jaypee Paguntalan from AMSA Philippines
- 2nd Place: Christopher Mark Kuek from AMSA Singapore
- 3rd Place: Kun-Ting Lou, Ya-Chu Chang, Vicky Chiang, Hao-Yu Tseng from AMSA Taiwan
Winners of the Public Infographic Competition:
- 1st Place: Haniefatul Azzizah from AMSA Indonesia
- 2nd Place: Benjamin Chan, Hiu Ching Lu, Shannon So, and Nicole Wing Hei Tung from AMSA Hong Kong
- 3rd Place: Kanyapat Taechapeti and Ranlaphat Aungkasuraphan from AMSA Thailand
Winners of the Video Infomercial Competition:
- 1st Place: Nurul Izza Sanusi from AMSA Indonesia
- 2nd Place: Mansanjam Kaur from AMSA India
- 3rd Place: Anu Chuluunbat, Khatanzaya Sukhgerel, Maralgoo Maralaa, Khulan Bayarkhuu, Chuluunbileg Batbold, Unurbileg Ochir, Ulemjjargal Ganzorig, Bayambasuren Dashnyam, Uyanga Munkhbayar from AMSA Mongolia
The AMSC 2021 London was also introduced during the Closing Ceremony to give a big picture about AMSC 2021 to the delegates. The event concluded with a closing speech from the advisor of AMSA Philippines and a goodbye speech from the EAMSC Conference Organising Committee.
EAMSC 2021 took place as the first ever virtual conference held in AMSA International. Warmest congratulations to all the winners of the Academic Competition of EAMSC 2021! We also highly appreciate the presence, hard work, and enthusiasm of all the Conference Organising Committee, speakers, judges, and delegates. We sincerely hope that all the programmes and agendas have inspired you in one way or another.