The Pacific Region Indigenous Doctors Congress Medical Student Track Report.

The 2018 Pacific Region Indigenous Doctors Congress (PRIDoC) conference featured a student track curriculum that was developed by students at the John A. Burns School of Medicine. Activities were designed around the student track theme, ho'oku'ikahi, meaning "unity" or "unify," as well as the overarching conference theme 'Oi Ola Wai Honua meaning "life is better while the earth has water." Following the conference, surveys were distributed among the trainees who had participated in the student track. The survey feedback was used to evaluate the student track curriculum, as well as its execution. Learning objectives developed for the Student Track were (1) to build formal professional networks, (2) to build a knowledge economy with shared knowledge among participants, and (3) to engage in cultural experiences. Analysis of qualitative data suggest that all learning objectives were satisfactorily fulfilled through planned conference activities. The data will be used to facilitate student tracks at future PRIDoC conferences. The student track at PRIDoC aims to establish and contribute to an ever-growing international network of indigenous students that will extend into professional practice.

Beyond the Ability to Pay: The Health Status of Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders in Relationship to Health Insurance.

Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders (NHOPI) suffer from a number of poor health outcomes, such as high rates of overweight status, obesity, hypertension, and high rates of asthma and cancer mortality. In addition to a disproportionate burden of illness, barriers to health care access and utilization also exist. This study examines the effect of health insurance coverage on the health status of NHOPI in comparison to Asians. To analyze this relationship, the study uses the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) 2012 data and logistic regression. Findings show insured NHOPI were significantly more likely than insured Asian Americans to report poor or fair health after sequential cumulative adjustments of socioeconomic, lifestyle and behavioral factors, history of diagnosed diseases, and access to care (OR: 1.66, 95% CI:[1.34, 2.05]). Health insurance alone will not eliminate the present disparities experienced by NHOPI. Other barriers prohibit health care access for NHOPI that should be considered in the investigation and development of strategies to increase healthcare access and eliminate health disparities for NHOPI.