Workshops and Presenters

Workshops at this year's conference are organized into four thematic streams, each reflecting a different dimension of the Filipino American physician's journey: Patungo sa Iyong Bituin (Professional Development), Liwanag ng Bituin (Storytelling), Konstelasyon ng Kapwa (Community Care), and Ginagabayan ng mga Bituin (Clinical Skills). Sessions span multiple workshop blocks throughout the weekend, so you can build your own experience across themes.

This page will be updated as new workshops and speakers are confirmed. Check back often.

Workshops
Presenters

Workshops

Workshop Stream 1 —
Patungo sa Iyong Bituin (“Towards Your Star”):
Charting Your Medical Journey

Every physician's journey begins with a vision of who they want to become. This track equips you with practical tools and strategic guidance to navigate critical transitions, from building competitive applications to reclaiming your identity in medicine to managing post-training finances. Whether you're just beginning or refining your path, these workshops help you chart your course with confidence and community support.

  • Admissions Committee, University of Houston Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine

  • Roma Fe Mabanag, MD

    This interactive workshop provides a clear, step-by-step framework for approaching research from idea generation to execution, designed for participants at any training or experience level. Attendees will learn how to transform curiosity and lived experiences into feasible research questions, select appropriate study designs, and identify attainable next steps. Don’t miss the most exciting interactive live panel packed with exclusive insights, real stories, and practical advice from surprise guest speakers who have who have established their names as recognized leaders and trailblazers in medical research.

  • This didactic session provides practical guidance for medical school graduates and early-career physicians navigating complex financial decisions during the transition from training to practice. Topics include student loan repayment strategies, budgeting with resident/fellow salaries, building emergency funds, understanding benefits packages, beginning retirement planning, and making informed decisions about major purchases. The session emphasizes actionable strategies tailored to the unique financial realities of physicians in training and early practice.

  • Randy Lizardo, MD, FACOG

    Introduction of the topic followed by brief small group discussions about how participants feel cultural expectations, family sacrifice, and the “utang na loob” mindset shape identity, influence career path and impact burnout for Filipinx Americans in medicine. Through reflection and guided discussion, participants will learn to separate self-worth from career and reconnect with purpose beyond professional roles. The session offers practical tools to reclaim autonomy, redefine success, and intentionally design a future aligned with participants values—not just their titles.

  • Monica Feliz R. Castillo, MD, MS

    Christopher T. Villongco, MD, MSCR

    This workshop will explore the unique mental health challenges faced in medicine, focusing on how Filipino/Filipinx and broader API cultural factors—such as stigma, familial expectations, and taboo—can impact wellness. Led by two Fil-Am psychiatrists trained in different regions of the country, attendees will learn key terminology and historical context around FilAms while engaging in an open discussion of mental health journeys through a Filipinx lens. Participants can expect a supportive, reflective space designed to foster self-awareness, resilience, and empowerment as they navigate their medical training and careers.

  • Bernice Ponce de Leon, DO

    Ever wondered why Fil-Am mental health is so complicated? Join us as we learn about mental health disparities in Filipino American populations, explore the conflicting expectations of Filipino and American culture, and learn about novel approaches to improving Fil-Am mental health.

  • Pat Lindsay "Pinky" C. Buscaino

    Cybil Joy Pallugna-Saenz

    Experience the power of storytelling as a tool for healing and clinical insight, presented in partnership with the Filipino American National Historical Society, Houston Chapter (FANHS-HTX). In this interactive workshop, you’ll write, share, and map Filipino personal and ancestral stories to the History of Present Illness (HPI), revealing how narrative shapes both understanding and care. Learn to listen like a storyteller and leave with skills that deepen empathy, sharpen diagnostic awareness, and honor the stories that connect us to our patients and our heritage.

  • Rodeo Abrencillo, MD

    Dr. Rodeo Abrencillo shares his arduous journey of becoming a physician and clinician-educator in a foreign land. As discoveries are rarely achieved in isolation, this session demonstrates how mentorship nurtures the development of professional and clinical skills throughout one's pursuit of medicine. By highlighting the roles of grit and gratitude, Dr. Abrencillo explores how Filipino American representation in medical leadership transforms the Filipino American community and impacts patient advocacy.

Workshop Stream 2 —
Liwanag ng Bituin (“Brilliance of the Star”):
Stories as Medicine

Our stories carry light that guides others through darkness. This track explores how narrative serves as healing, teaching, and community preservation for Filipino Americans navigating medicine. Through examining internalized pressures, cultural duality, and the transformative power of storytelling, we honor the brilliance that emerges when we share our truths with courage and vulnerability.

Workshop Stream 3 —
Konstelasyon ng Kapwa (“Shared Constellations”):
Charting Constellations of Shared Humanity

Individual stars become meaningful when we recognize their connections to one another. This track examines how community-centered care, health equity advocacy, and structural competency strengthen both our patients and profession. From policy navigation to migrant health to specialized clinical knowledge, these workshops ground clinical practice in the Filipino value of kapwa, recognizing that our well-being is inseparable from those we serve.

  • Frances Angela Torres Rodriguez

    Health policy shapes nearly every clinical decision, often in ways we don’t see until it affects a patient’s story. This workshop provides a clear, accessible overview of Medicare, Medicaid, and the current health policy landscape while centering equity, culture, and community impact. Participants will leave with a stronger framework for understanding policy and their role as clinicians, advocates, and future leaders.

  • Arcelita Imasa, MD

    At the end of the workshop, I hope for attendees to be able to: 1. Describe at least two ways immigration enforcement and fear of ICE impact migrants’ access to and experiences of healthcare in clinical and community settings. 2. Identify key legal and ethical principles that guide provider responses when immigration authorities appear in or around healthcare facilities, including strategies to protect patient privacy and safety. 3. Reflect on their own migration, family, or training stories and articulate how these narratives can inform compassionate, trauma‑informed care for migrant patients. 4. Develop an actionable micro‑advocacy plan (e.g., clinic policy, know‑your‑rights resource, institutional protocol, or learner‑led initiative) to advance equitable care for migrants in their home institutions and workplaces.

  • Karen Thursday S. Tuano, MD

    This talk will review the clinical presentation of Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease (EGID) in pediatric patients across different age groups and highlight key features that should raise suspicion for the diagnosis. It will outline a step-wise, evidence-based approach to diagnosing EGID, including differential diagnosis and appropriate use of testing. Finally, it will summarize current management strategies and treatment options to guide effective care.

Workshop Stream 4:
Ginagabayan ng mga Bituin (“Guided by the Stars”):
Hands-on Clinical Mastery

For generations, travelers have navigated by starlight, trusting patterns established by those who came before. This track offers hands-on clinical skills training where expert clinician-educators guide you through foundational and advanced techniques. From physical exam mastery to procedural confidence, these workshops honor the mentorship tradition where knowledge passes from one pair of skilled hands to the next.

  • Natasha Abadilla Glenn, MD

    Christopher Bautista Aquino, MD

    This hands-on clinical skills workshop introduces foundational suturing techniques for learners beginning their journey in medicine. Designed for pre-medical students, early trainees, and anyone seeking a refresher on core principles, participants will practice basic instrument handling, knot-tying methods, and simple interrupted suture placement using simulation equipment. No prior suturing experience required.

  • Trina Salva, MD

    Neil Wingkun, MD

    This hands-on clinical skills workshop introduces foundational suturing techniques for learners beginning their journey in medicine. Designed for pre-medical students, early trainees, and anyone seeking a refresher on core principles, participants will practice basic instrument handling, knot-tying methods, and simple interrupted suture placement using simulation equipment. No prior suturing experience required.

Workshop Presenters

Rodeo Abrencillo, MD

Associate Professor of Medicine, McGovern Medical School, UTHealth Houston

Pulmonary and Critical Care physician with UT Physicians

Clinical and Research Fellow Physician in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Shaffer Scholars Research Program, Columbia University/Cornell University/ New York Presbyterian Hospitals

Monica Feliz R. Castillo, MD, MS

Pat Lindsay "Pinky" C. Buscaino

Filipino American National Historical Society – Houston Chapter (FANHS-HTX)

Kuwento Co

Postdoctoral Orthopaedic Research Fellow, University of Illinois Chicago Biomechanics Laboratory

Roma Fe Mabanag, MD

Child Neurology Resident, Stanford Health

Natasha Abadilla Glenn, MD

Family Medicine Physician, Hawaii Pacific Health

National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON)

Arcelita Imasa, MD

Gynecologic surgeon, Capital Women’s Care

Clinical Professor of OBGYN, The George Washington University

Randy Lizardo, MD, FACOG

Child, Adolescent, and Adult Psychiatrist, YourStory Psychiatry

Bernice Ponce de Leon, DO

Filipino American National Historical Society – Houston Chapter (FANHS-HTX)

Cybil Joy Pallugna-Saenz

Frances Maher Rodriguez

Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Section of Immunology, Allergy and Retrovirology, Baylor College of Medicine

Allergist–Immunologist, Texas Children’s Hospital–The Woodlands

Karen Thursday S. Tuano, MD

Assistant professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Morehouse School of Medicine

Christopher T. Villongco, MD, MSCR