General Information
About Us
The American Mock World Health Organization (AMWHO) or Model-WHO is a conference simulation of the World Health Assembly, the annual global health policymaking forum of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Purpose
We endeavor to introduce students from all academic backgrounds and majors to the world of global health policy through authentic simulations of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, and biweekly discussions with peers and faculty about public health affairs. AMWHO provides UMBC students with the opportunity to learn about the policymaking process and also gain exposure to the field of public health as a profession as well as global health discourse.
Meetings and Events
Meetings
As chapter members of the national organization, students of UMBC come together twice a month to discuss current pressing public and global health issues.
General Body Meetings (GBMs)
Our General Body Meetings (GBMs) are held at the beginning of the month (days and times will be announced at the beginning of the semester), where we discuss and debate current topics as a peer group. Previous GBM topics include refugee and migrant health, maternal healthcare, the opioid crisis, antibiotic resistance, and global hunger.
Snack and Learns
Our second meeting of the month is a “Snack and Learn”, where we invite professors and researchers from different educational backgrounds to speak to our student body about their experiences and research studies. These meetings are a wonderful opportunity to discuss one-on-one with UMBC’s accomplished faculty and learn about potential career and research options, as well as how public health impacts the world around us. Some of our past speakers include Professor Katie Birger, Dr. Callaghan-Koru, Dr. Lucy Wilson, and Dr. Andrea Kalfoglou.
Conferences
One of our major organization events is attending the annual AMWHO conference in the spring, where we send a delegation of nine to ten students to take part in an international Model WHO forum with students from AMWHO chapters around the world. We plan to send a delegation to the 2022 conference hosted by the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill during the Spring semester.
UMBC-Hosted Virtual Conference
During the Fall 2020 semester, UMBC hosted a virtual AMWHO conference in collaboration with chapters from Johns Hopkins University, Duke University, Texas Tech University, and the University of North Carolina, Charlotte! We plan on hosting similar events in collaboration with AMWHO chapters across the nation to facilitate public health discourse at the collegiate level, while also providing practice and training for the annual international AMWHO conference. Our first virtual conference was titled The Path Ahead: Our Future With COVID-19, and over 100 students from across the country registered to participate. Delegates were also able to hear from and interact with a number of keynote speakers from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, UMBC, Duke University, and Texas Tech University. Here is the link to the conference website: https://virtualamwho2020.webnode.com/
Contact
Get Involved
We welcome students from any major and do not require any experience in public health or Model-WHO – the only requirement is an interest in public health and global health topics as well as a desire to get involved with the UMBC community! Our main goal is to expand UMBC’s public health discourse and mold this organization into a multidisciplinary discussion forum. Our organization’s members range from freshmen to seniors, with majors spanning from Health Administration and Public Policy (HAPP) to Computer Science!
Contact Us
Please join our email list to get updates on meetings and events, or follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook! Check out our Linktree to join our WebEx space, mailing list, GroupMe and access our fundraising and informational campaigns. UMBC students please join our myUMBC group for all the latest information and meeting recordings.
Email: umbcamwho1@gmail.com
Instagram: @umbcamwho_
Twitter: @umbcamwho
Facebook: @umbcamwho1