ASA: Armenian Students Association
Summer Medical Research Project in Armenia
Contact: vatchet@ucla.edu, (917) 628-5324
Dear Undergraduate Armenians, My name is Vatche Tchekmedyian, and I'm a first year medical student at UCLA. I am planning a research project for this summer which may interest Armenian pre-medical students. I am organizing a team of individuals to come to Armenia and test for the prevalence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) among the population in Yerevan. COPD is an obstructive disease of the lung that is generally associated with smoking, but has a base-line risk among non-smokers in the population. This study would quantify the prevalence of the disease as well as elucidating specific risk factors for those living in Armenia. It is an epidemiological study that will provide important public health information for Armenia. The results could potentially be the stimulus for implementing early screening/treatment programs and furthering anti-smoking campaigns. It will also provide information about the social and economic burden of the disease within Armenia. I plan to take 14 willing volunteers with me. Although it is not completely necessary, knowing Armenian will be helpful. We will be teaming up with Armenian medical students to complete the research, and we will stay in Armenia for 6 weeks between mid June and the end of July. This is an exciting opportunity to get to know Armenia, the language, and participate in a meaningful public health project. This experience is particularly valuable for students pursuing a career in the health sciences. If anybody is at all interested, please feel free to contact me at vatchet@ucla.edu or (917) 628-5324. Sincerely, Vatche Tchekmedyian MS1 – David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Vatchet@ucla.edu (917) 628-5324

Dear Undergraduate Armenians,
My name is Vatche Tchekmedyian, and I'm a first year medical student at UCLA.  I am planning a research project for this summer which may interest Armenian pre-medical students.  I am organizing a team of individuals to come to Armenia and test for the prevalence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) among the population in Yerevan.  COPD is an obstructive disease of the lung that is generally associated with smoking, but has a base-line risk among non-smokers in the population.

This study would quantify the prevalence of the disease as well as elucidating specific risk factors for those living in Armenia.  It is an epidemiological study that will provide important public health information for Armenia.  The results could potentially be the stimulus for implementing early screening/treatment programs and furthering anti-smoking campaigns.  It will also provide information about the social and economic burden of the disease within Armenia.

I plan to take 14 willing volunteers with me.  Although it is not completely necessary, knowing Armenian will be helpful.  We will be teaming up with Armenian medical students to complete the research, and we will stay in Armenia for 6 weeks between mid June and the end of July.  This is an exciting opportunity to get to know Armenia, the language, and participate in a meaningful public health project.  This experience is particularly valuable for students pursuing a career in the health sciences.

If anybody is at all interested, please feel free to contact me at vatchet@ucla.edu or (917) 628-5324.

Sincerely,

Vatche Tchekmedyian
MS1 – David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA
Vatchet@ucla.edu
(917) 628-5324
- For more information about ASA please visit us online at www.asainc.org.
- You may send a message to the NY ASA with any questions at newyork_asa@yahoo.com
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