Statement Endorsing the Anti-Racism in Public Health AcT
This letter was directed towards Representative Ayanna Pressley, Representative Barbara Lee, and Senator Elizabeth Warren in support of S.162 and H.R.666 “The Anti-Racism in Public Health Act” which acknowledges structural racism’s impact on disparities in health outcomes for Black and Brown communities and creates anti-racist federal health policy.
May 19, 2021
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Statement on the Recent Violence Against APIA Communities
“In response to the recent violence against APIA communities, APAMSA released a statement acknowledging the history of racism and violence that has threatened our communities, denouncing these acts of violence and opposing racism in all its forms. The statement notes the vulnerabilities of the APIA community’s elders as well as the increase in verbal and physical violence since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to calling for better reporting and prevention of anti-APIA hate, APAMSA called for allyship, solidarity, and anti-racist policies, not only for the concerns of the APIA community but for all marginalized people.”
February 15, 2021
APHA Interventions to Address the Harms of the Carceral Systems
This policy statement highlights the inequities of those who are incarcerated in jails, prisons, and detention centers. While originally focused on inequities that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, this policy was significantly changed to decenter COVID-19 and focus more on carceral systems as a public health crisis. The statement includes evidence-based strategies to address issues posed by carceral systems, provides several actionable steps, as well as several calls for additional funding to better understand and ultimately provide more information that will allow a shift of resources from incarceration to our communities directly.
October 24, 2020
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Click to read the full statement.
MCAT Waiver (2020)
“MCAT exams were rescheduled for a significant number of applicants after test centers were closed from March through May. While other graduate school entrance exams have shifted to an on-line format, the MCAT must be taken in person, creating a situation at odds with public health recommendations designed to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Despite the worsening pandemic, applicants are being rescheduled to take the MCAT all over the country--some in areas with a surge in COVID-19 cases, placing applicants, their families, and test center employees at additional risk.
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In light of the disparate impact of MCAT testing challenges among current medical school applicants, we strongly urge all medical schools to consider making the MCAT optional for the current cycle and applicants planning on retaking the MCAT be allowed to blind their previous scores to ensure a more fair and equitable admissions review.”
August 7, 2020
ERAS Criminal History
“To this end, we are calling on the AAMC, ACGME, and AACOM to commit to releasing a written statement to:
1. Encourage activists who protest racial injustice to apply to medical programs.
2. Guarantee immunity from any “screen out” process that occurs, either in AMCAS/AACOMAS or in ERAS applications, for individuals with a criminal record related to these protests and other forms of anti-racist activism.
3. Guarantee immunity from any disadvantages that applicants are likely to face if they are arrested at these, or future, protests.
4. Relay these sentiments to Medical Admissions Committees and Residency Program Directors.
5. Commit to open, ongoing, and transparent dialogue between students and medical institutions to more readily address injustices present within medicine and within our society.”
June 2020
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Click to read the full statement.
SNMA Solidarity StatemenT
“On June 8th, 2020, the Student National Medical Association (SNMA) released a statement in response to the wrongful deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, and thousands more who came before or have been killed since. The statement denounces all incidents of violence and racism against Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), including a statement against police brutality and recognizing racism as a public health issue. In addition to a Call to Action calling for systematic changes, the statement provides multiple resources regarding anti-racism efforts and education as well as resources supporting BIPOC individuals in the hope that we continue to promote and train culturally competent physicians.”
June 2020
Protection of International Students Petition
“The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s announcement on July 6th, 2020 stated that “Nonimmigrant F-1 and M-1 students attending schools operating entirely online may not take a full online course load and remain in the United States.” This policy would have stripped approximately 600 MD and DO candidates of their visas and ability to remain in the U.S. and impacted the health of many others. In response to increasing pressure from thousands of petition signatures and following condemnation of ICE’s announcement by organizations including the American Medical Association (AMA), the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine (AACOM), and the Federation of Associations of Schools of the Health Professions (FASHP), the Trump Administration rescinded this plan on July 14th, 2020, highlighting the power of our collective advocacy and solidifying the fact that immigrants belong in the U.S.”
July 2020
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The U.S. Response to the Coronavirus Outbreak
“This statement, originally released on February 23, 2020, was created in response to the Trump Administration’s travel restrictions, quarantine, and medical screening procedures specifically targeting travelers to and from China. The statement highlights the xenophobia of the Trump Administration’s coronavirus response towards Asian immigrants as well as the increased incidence of aggression towards Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) communities as a result of these policies. The statement also notes the lack of a global health and pandemic team in the Trump Administration and that policy regarding the pandemic should be based on collaboration and evidence rather than fear or prejudice.”
February 23, 2020