SCOPH loves you more

After the whirlwind that was the 2016 Regional Meeting of the Americas, I finally have a moment to write my final blog post. Just a moment, because I still have to make my final RA report and start working on outcomes.

I am very satisfied with the entire RM! I wouldn’t have done anything differently. SCOPH sessions have never been so interactive , so energetic and so informative. From the orange bracelets I brought for the 26 participants from over 10 countries, to our special SCOPH Hakka and our chant (go scoph go, GO SCOPH go, GO SCOPH GO!), the team spirit was amazing. Every participant truly felt like they were part of the Orange Family. There were a lot of new SCOPH members in the group, but some participants were also not from the Standing Committee. Nonetheless, everybody appreciated getting to know more about Public Health and its importance for medical students.

I had a lot of positive feedback throughout the week. As a Regional Assistant, it’s sometimes difficult to feel validated because most of my work is done on the computer (making doodles, writing Whatsapps and sending emails). Seeing the National Officers of Public Health and the other SCOPHeroes so content with my sessions made me ecstatic. Taking the time to come see me, and sharing how my sessions impacted them, made all the hard work preparing for the RM worth it!

This experience has taught me a lot in time management, in delegating tasks, in speaking slower while giving presentations, and in creating well-balanced agendas, among others. It also enriched my knowledge of the Americas and of the particularities of every country.

I would like to thank a lot of people:
For inspiring me, and for being SCOPH mentors: Sergio, Skander, Jozo, Arthur
For calming me down, when I was stressed planning the RM: Bryan, Anne-Lou, Frida, Salvador
For helping me plan and deliver the sessions: Maria, Skander, Samantha, Lucy Theresa
For being there for me, when I was all over the place, trying to get everything done at once: David, William, Charles-Antoine
For making me feel like part of the Americas Family : Nacha, Ivan, Joel, Diego, Carlos, Felipe, Rodrigo, Mauro, Paco, Lucas
For making sure I also had a lot of fun at the RM: The Paraguayans, the Brazilians, the Mexicans, the Chileans, the Costa Ricans, The Ecuadorians, the Guatemalan, the Argentinians, the Bolivians, the Uruguayans, the Colombians, the Panamanian, the Venezuelans, the Peruvians and the SCODEians

You guys made it an unforgettable experience for me, and I am forever grateful. I will continue my hard work for the second half of my term, and make my region proud.

Orange Hugs,
Aline D. Khatchikian
Americas’ SCOPH RA 2015/2016