Reflections on the 2023 LPMA Spring Conference
Angella Chang, Charlotte Pearson, Miriam Hill- Odom
Attend lectures, review lectures, practice test questions, sleep, and repeat. This is our typical schedule as first year medical students at LSUHSC New Orleans.
Driving an hour and a half along the Gulf Coast Highway on a sunny warmish Friday afternoon in February, grabbing a cup full of sweet tea, and listening in at a regional weekend conference of practicing physicians was a welcomed change of pace!
We heard sessions on a wide range of topics including: pharmacotherapies for stimulant
misuse, risk management and pending legislation regarding the use of telehealth, the
conundrum of medical marijuana, and the risks of social media/excess screen time for
both adults and children. Listening to speakers apply content we learned in our lectures
to real world scenarios was enriching and helped put all of our handwork as students
into perspective. (Photo, left to right: Charlotte S. Pearson, Miriam A. Hill-Odom, Angella S. Chang)
Additional highlights included talks from the faculty working at the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic and a discussion on “personal brand” and becoming more aware of how we present ourselves to others. As female medical students, we were encouraged by the success and advocacy work presented by the women in medicine.
On the second evening at the Medical Student/Resident Poster Cocktail Reception, we were inspired by fellow students and trainees making their own contributions to the field of psychiatry. It was amazing to see the diversity of this field, and the dynamic course that a career in psychiatry can take. We were also struck by the warmth and uniqueness of each doctor we met! We are excited to encounter a field with such breadth. The 2023 LPMA spring conference generated a lot of enthusiasm in each of us and was a welcomed change of pace as we continue our medical education.