Reporter December 2002 Home

113th AAMC Annual Meeting: Leadership Forum Examines Trends, Future Opportunities

Plenary Speakers Address Challenges, From Bioterrorism to Health Disparities

Roundup from San Francisco: AAMC's 113th Annual Meeting Notes Trends, Concerns, Solutions

2002 AOA Winners

Medical School Applications May Be On the Rise

For the Love of Country: Afghan-American Physicians Rebuild Medical Education in Their Homeland

Caring for Community: Loma Linda Medical Students Organize Health, Mentoring Programs

Viewpoint: The State of the VHA Is Strong

A Word From the President

Reporter Archive

AAMC Newsroom

Managing Editor Scott Harris sharris@aamc.org Staff Writer Elissa Fuchs efuchs@aamc.org

Caring for Community Healthy Neighborhoods: Loma Linda Medical Students Organize Health, Mentoring Programs

This is the last in a series of columns on recipients of the AAMC's "Caring for Community" awards, an institutional program designed to encourage the development of medical student-initiated services and programs for local communities.

Helping hands: Loma Linda medical students prepare to help at a 2002 health fair.

Renay Fredette and Anunporn Srisawat, medical students at Loma Linda University, share an important goal: both went into medicine to serve the community and make a difference. They are doing just that by helping to organize the Healthy Neighborhoods project, a community service initiative that includes an annual health fair and a student-initiated mentoring program.

The highlight of the project, initiated in 2001, is a health fair providing free medical screenings, health education, and health promotional events for all age groups, including 5K/10K races. The community where the fair takes place, the Norton area of San Bernardino, Calif., is largely uninsured and underserved, and the purpose of the fair is to get residents connected to available healthcare resources and organizations.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, San Bernardino County, where Norton is located, leads the state with the

highest death rate from heart disease, as well as high rates of diabetes, hypertension, and infant mortality.

The good news is that a substantial number of residents have participated in the fair. "Preliminary results show a slight increase in the number of runners and health fair visitors this year," says Srisawat. About 1,100 people took part in the fair this year, compared with last year's 1,000 participants, she says, adding that "150 volunteers helped out for the event, 80 of whom were medical students."

According to Fredette, the most memorable aspect of the yearly fair has been the long-term effect it has had on attendees. "The first year we held the fair, in 2001, there was a group of four women from the neighborhood who participated in the [5K/10K] walk," recalls Fredette. "After the fair was over, they still did the same walk together four times a week. They would bring their strollers and their children as they walked, and apparently they did this for several months."

Kids' care: Young health fair participants stop by the "Community Kids" booth.

Forty-eight community organizations were involved in this year's fair, according to Srisawat, a volunteer student leader. Booths for blood pressure and diabetes screening, prenatal care, breast exams, skin cancer checks, motor vehicle safety, and other healthcare issues were present.

"After the people got screened for different health problems, the ones in charge of screening in the booths checked to see if medical follow-up was necessary," explains Fredette. "They also filled out cards with their personal information, noting whether or not they would be interested in tutoring for their kids."

Mentoring and tutoring are important aspects of this project. Each Saturday, a group of medical students participating in this program spends two hours with children from the Norton neighborhoods, and engaging in activities such as craft making, game playing, and storytelling.

This year, students are expanding this part of the project and are including after-school tutoring, something that is greatly needed in this community. According to the California Department of Education, of the seven schools located in Norton, only one ranks above a "2" in academic performance on a statewide scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest.

Engaging in activities such as planning for the fair, mentoring, and tutoring children in underserved communities works as a reminder to both Fredette and Srisawat of why they wanted to become doctors in the first place.

"A lot of students initially come to medical school with the goal of practicing medicine not because they will gain something from it, but because they really want to give," says Fredette. "With the nature and rigors of medical school, it's amazing how you can start to lose that initial focus in a couple of years."

Srisawat agrees. "It's service to others that led me to medicine, and this program reminds me of that personal commitment," she says.

By Suria Santana

Contact Us    © 1995-2008 AAMC    Terms and Conditions    Privacy Statement