7th Annual CYFAM National Conference
February 13–14, 2027 · San Diego, California
At the University of California, San Diego – School of Medicine
Building kapwa among Filipinx American physicians, trainees, and communities
About the Conference
Kapwa is often translated as "shared self," the recognition that another person is not separate from you. It is the idea at the center of everything CYFAM does, and it is the reason we gather.
Each year, the CYFAM National Conference brings together Filipinx and Filipinx American pre-medical and medical students, residents and fellows, attending physicians, researchers, and healthcare professionals from across the country. For two days we trade advice, share research, learn from one another, and remember that we are building something larger than any one career.
In 2027, we come to San Diego.
In collaboration with our Student Partners
-
Filipinx Americans in Medicine (FAM)
Filipinx Americans in Medicine (FAM) is a student-run organization focused on fostering community among Filipinos in medicine. FAM is dedicated to connecting and serving Filipino American medical students, a historically underrepresented group within the profession. Through collaboration and advocacy, FAM promotes medical education and builds community among students, patients, and physicians.
-
Pilipino Undergraduate Society for Health (PUSH)
Pilipino Undergraduate Society for Health (PUSH) believes in the academic empowerment of Pilipino American students. PUSH members are leaders in the Pilipino community who serve as an active presence through service, establish networking opportunities and collaborations, and promote education and awareness of health issues in order to move purposefully toward futures in the health professions.
Who belongs here
You belong at this conference if you are:
A pre-medical or undergraduate student wondering whether there is a place for you in medicine
A medical student looking for mentors who understand where you come from
A resident or fellow navigating training, match, and identity at the same time
An attending physician or researcher ready to pour into the next generation
A healthcare professional, educator, or community advocate invested in Filipinx health
International medical graduates charting a path into US practice
No prior CYFAM involvement is required. First-timers are genuinely welcome.
What to expect
Mentorship that lasts past the weekend
Structured mentorship connects students with residents, fellows, and attendings who have walked the same road.
Professional development
Sessions on residency applications, research pathways, leadership, negotiation, and sustaining a career without losing yourself in it.
Clinical skills workshops
Hands-on practice with procedural and clinical skills, led by physician instructors.
Scholarship and research
An abstract and poster session spotlighting Filipinx health research, community health work, and medical education scholarship.
Abstract submissions open this Fall.
Community care and health equity
Programming on the health issues that shape Filipinx American communities, from cardiometabolic and cancer disparities to mental health, caregiving, and the health of the healthcare workforce itself.
Gathering
A gala, shared meals, and the unstructured hours where real kuwentuhan happens.
Why San Diego?
San Diego is not a neutral backdrop. It is one of the most significant Filipinx American communities in the United States.
Filipino sailors have passed through these waters for centuries, beginning with the Manila galleon trade that carried Filipino crews across the Pacific and produced the first documented Filipino landing on California soil at Morro Bay in October 1587, the event now marked every year as Filipino American History Month. Generations later, US Navy recruitment brought thousands of Filipino service members and their families to San Diego, and communities took root in National City, Paradise Hills, Chula Vista, and Mira Mesa.
Filipino nurses and physicians recruited to the United States through the mid-twentieth century helped build the healthcare workforce that this region still depends on. Many of us are here because they came first.
We gather in San Diego to learn where we came from and to take that history seriously as clinicians. This is a homecoming as much as a conference.
Sources
Demographics: Asian Americans Advancing Justice SoCal, San Diego County; San Diego Foundation, State of San Diego AANHPI Report (2024)
Morro Bay, 1587: APIAHiP; Filipino American National Historical Society marker, Coleman Park
Navy service and settlement: Yen Le Espiritu, Children of Filipino Immigrants in San Diego; Rudy Guevarra, Journal of San Diego History; Filipinos in San Diego digital exhibit
Healthcare workforce: Catherine Ceniza Choy, Empire of Care (Duke University Press, 2003)
