A conversation about Hawaiʻi’s physician shortage led University of Hawaiʻi at 惭ā苍辞补 (JABSOM) students to invite state lawmakers to campus for a firsthand look at how future physicians are trained.
Five legislators—state Sen. Troy Hashimoto and Reps. Jackson Sayama, Greg Illagan, Gregg Takeyama, and Adrian Tam—visited campus in October for a student-led tour highlighting medical education, clinical training, and JABSOM’s efforts to address Hawaiʻi’s healthcare needs.
Policy and education
Students guided lawmakers through campus, sharing their experiences and demonstrating how JABSOM prepares future physicians. At the SimTiki Simulation Center, legislators participated in a simulated medical case to experience how students develop clinical skills and decision-making abilities.
Lawmakers also met with JABSOM Dean Sam Shomaker and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs Lee Buenconsejo-Lum.
“I’m incredibly proud of our students for taking the initiative to organize this visit,” Shomaker said. “We can tell legislators about our curriculum, our programs and the work we do across Hawaiʻi, but there’s something especially valuable about hearing it directly from the students who experience it every day.”
Takeyama said one of his biggest takeaways was JABSOM’s connection to the communities its students will serve, particularly through clinical rotations at community hospitals and the H.O.M.E. Project, which provides healthcare to people experiencing homelessness across Oʻahu.
“To have students instilled at the very beginning of their educational experience, learning to interact with policymakers, I think that’s truly important and will serve our community long into the future,” Takeyama said.