Asian Pacific American Medical Students: Beyond the 'golden stethoscope'

PURPOSE OF THE PAPER: The purpose of this paper is to present a keynote address given in 1995 immediately prior to the formal inauguration of the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) in New York. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Asian Pacific American (APA) medical students have increased ten­fold as a percentage of the entering class from 1975­1995 to its current level of 18.2%. The recent history of the APA medical student movement is traced from its inception in regional conferences in 1993 to the formation of a national electronic mail bulletin board ("AAMSnet") in 1994, and its culmination in the first national conference and inauguration of the Asian Pacific AMerican Medical Student Association (APAMSA) at New York University in 1995. CONCLUSIONS: Although the "golden stethoscope" image is used to represent the pinnacle for APA students entering the medical profession, beneath the image lie difficult challenges specific to APAs including those of family and culture, academic performance, professional acceptance, and community responsibility. The potential of the APAMSA organization to address local, regional, and national APA health issues is explored.