MSFC Update - February 2005

Regional Conference Reports

Western Regional Conference
87 registrants participated in the jam-packed Western Regional Conference, hosted by Oregon Health and Science University’s MSFC group. Held on October 30, 2004 on the hilltop campus dressed in the colors of fall, students were inspired to continue pursuing their grassroots efforts on their home campuses. The keynote closing address by MSFC founder, Jody Steinauer, was particularly motivating, and sessions on MVA training, “Faith and Choice,” “Why Women Wait,” and the Jane Story were all well received. Providers and patients alike shared their stories with the group of young physicians, and enlightened our future abortion providers.

Chicago area Conference
The MSFC Region 5 Conference was held on October 30, 2004, at Northwestern University. Students representing seven Midwestern medical schools attended this event. The morning started off with a lecture by Reverend Mark Pawlowski, Executive Director of Planned Parenthood of South Central Michigan, on the interface between religion and reproductive health. Other sessions included a provider panel, a talk on choice and civil liberties from ACLU of Illinois Reproductive Rights Project Director Lorie Chaiten, and a “Reproductive Choice in Women with Disabilities” presentation by Judy Panko Reis from the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago.

The day ended with a talk on options counseling, including an informal Q & A session with a Planned Parenthood staff member. This conference gave everyone a chance to network and talk about what was going on at their MSFC chapters.

New England Conference
Dartmouth University MSFC hosted the Region 7 Conference, “Choice in 2004: Exploring Our Personal Belief System,” on November 13, 2004. Over 100 students from all 10 medical schools in New England came together to explore th complexities of the debate surrounding the abortion issue.

The conference covered such diverse topics as medical abortion, abortion laws, and faith and choice. The highlight of the day was the “How US Foreign Policy Affects Reproductive Health in Latin America” session; Dr. Rodolfo Gomez, an Ipas presenter from Argentina, spoke about maternal mortality and the death rate from septic abortions in the Latin American region. Concluding remarks were made by an obstetrician/ gynecologist who had an integral part in passing state legislation for Vermont to become the 4th state in the nation to legalize abortion in 1970.

New York/New Jersey Conference
The MSFC Region 8 Conference was on October 2, 2004, at Mt. Sinai Medical School. The event drew about 70 students from the Northeast. With the theme of “Becoming a Medical Activist,” students had an opportunity to hear some dynamic speakers talking about how to integrate pro-choice activism into your career and your residency, the history and politics of mifepristone, faith and choice, and options counseling. In addition, a local provider and residents facilitated a unique workshop demonstrating the use of the manual vacuum aspirator on papayas. The day concluded with a regional legislative update about what is going on politically in New York and New Jersey and how it could affect reproductive rights.

Mid-Atlantic area Conference
George Washington University hosted the Region 9 Conference on November 6, 2004. The conference was a great success, with over 50 students in attendance eager to network and discuss what they could do to secure abortion and reproductive rights for the future.

Students had an opportunity to hear a broad range of topics in reproductive health. Dr. Paul Blumenthal opened up the conference with a talk on “Maximizing Access and Quality of Contraceptive Services.” 1st and 2nd trimester abortions, cultural competence & access to reproductive choice, medical abortion, science & politics behind mifepristone, and a legislative update were topics of subsequent sessions.

The highlight of the day was the “MVA Abortion Training Procedure Skills” practice session. Four doctors lead a hands-on workshop to introduce students to the technique of performing a surgical abortion using a manual vacuum aspirator, using a papaya as a model of the uterus. Students raved, “Wonderful! This completely demystified the abortion process for me,” and “Very reassuring — I think I can do this! It took the anxiety out of the procedure.” Attendees left the event feeling energized and committed to furthering the cause of providing comprehensive reproductive healthcare for women.