UH Med Now

The inaugural Hawai‘i Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists HSOG conference, “Imua – Women’s Health,” happens Saturday, June 18, 2022, from 7am to 3pm at the Ala Moana Hotel by Mantra, in its Garden Lanai Room. HSOG invites attending physicians practicing in Hawai‘i, Hawai‘i residency program residents, University of Hawai‘i (UH) medical students and other UH System allied health field students to its first one-day conference focused on women’s health issues and improving Hawai‘i’s rural health for the practicing OB/GYN and general medicine practitioner.

HSOG was formed in 2019 as a (501) © (3) non-profit by former residents William Fong, Irwin Lee, and John Uohara (Kapiolani Class of 1979). The society raises funds to provide educational and financial assistance to medical students, residents, and post-graduate physicians who may be interested in exploring obstetric and gynecological opportunities in under-served areas. The conference is free to attend, and it is $25 to become an HSOG member.

Following the conference’s 7-7:45 am registration, breakfast, and exhibit viewing, a full slate of speakers is scheduled, peppered with breaks, including lunch.  

“Bill, Irwin, and I were lamenting one day that the oldest residency program in the state of Hawai’i (OB/GYN since 1949) did not have an alumni association,” Uohara said. “We were remembering all the great mentors and experiences we had during our time during residency. Most of these individuals have since died and we felt that it was a shame that these experiences were not shared with our younger peers.”  

According to Uohara, many programs on the mainland have very strong alumni associations that support causes important to them. “So we felt that an alumni association would need a purpose other than social. We all felt that there was an inequality with respect to access to care in various parts of our State. Thus was the ‘conception’ of HSOG,” Uohara said.

Since HSOG’s inception, Uohara said that new board members Drs. Lori Kamemoto, James Demarchi, Franklin Dao, and Lehua Perry have given the group a greater depth from their experiences. HSOG is looking to grow its membership with Hawai’i OBGYN practitioners – those who have been in practice for a few to many years, to recent graduates and residents from practicing in the islands.

“We are hopeful that more alumni will see this as a worthy non-profit to join,” Uohara said. 

By Paula Bender, UH Med News

Graphic composition by Paula Bender.