Touro College In Harlem Hosts National Human Rights Conference 2018

The Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine (TouroCOM) hosted its first national conference on November 17-18, 2018, at its Harlem, New York campus.

The 2018 Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) National Student Conference, “At the Intersection of Power: Communities in Crossfire” drew dozens of socially conscious medical students from around the country and speakers from around the globe. “The students learned about vulnerable people around the world and the health crises under which they suffer,” said TouroCOM Dean Dr. David Forstein. “They left the conference motivated to help provide better healthcare to people who are incarcerated, living in war zones, refugees, minority pregnant women, and others. Inspiring speakers opened their eyes and minds, giving them the vocabulary and tools to make a difference.” PHR Director of International Policy Susannah Siskin opened with students reading aloud the 30 articles of the U.N.’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary. At a poster session, students presented research on humanitarian work, epidemiological studies, disease prevention, and reproductive health interventions. TouroCOM student Tiguiran Kane (pictured) presented on how global injustices lead to toxic waste dumping in her home country of Ivory Coast. Students from UCLA, Brown University and the University of Pennsylvania presented on their asylum clinics and models for expanding forensic and psychological evaluations for displaced immigrants worldwide.

Among other topics covered: “Doctors as Water Protectors”; racial disparities in maternal mortality; medical care during emergencies; and legal, psychological and social issues affecting the separation of families at the Mexican border.

Photo credit: TouroCOM student Tiguiran Kane at TouroCOM Harlem.