Sample Project Ideas

Out of ideas for Community and Public Health projects that you can do? Below is just a smattering of projects that AMSA chapters are doing. For more ideas, be sure to visit our Local Chapter Community & Public Health Projects.

AIDS Quilt (Univ of Pennsylvania, UIC-Rockford)

We were able to obtain a portion of the AIDS Quilt to display at our school for a week.

 

Ashley Clinic (Univ of Michigan)

Students got involved with a homeless shelter. We recruited a couple docs to come help us, and we screen shelter residents for health issues. We get some extra funding to help with equipment and generic meds.

 

The Buddies Program (Medical Univ of South Carolina)

Sets up a child on dialysis or chemo with a medical student, they meet once a week for the year. This year we are also extending the program to the elderly population (with the same idea of having a medical student meet with the patient ~once/wk).

 

CampKrem/ Camping Unlimited (UC-Berkeley)

We join the campers for mentally retarded or developmentally delayed children and adults on day trips to sights in San Francisco as well as on weekend trips to the cabins of Camp Krem in the Santa Cruz mountains. The campers are mostly sweet and loving, and our volunteers return home feeling happy and fulfilled.

 

Chill With Children (University of Central Florida - Premed)

We invited homeless, abused kids ( 6-12) from many different local shelters in the Orlando area and hung out with them on our UCF campus. We played different games with them, read spooky stories to them, gave them a tour of campus and tried to excite them about going to college. We also had them go through a Haunted house built on campus by the SGA. A total of 107 kids showd up. It was a great event and other chapters should think about doing events like this.

 

CHIP/Kidcare Insurance Program (Univ of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana)

We go to libraries, sit on buses, go to grocery stores, etc and give out information and explain the application system and eligibility.

 

Community Health Fair (Brody School of Medicine at Eastern Carolina Univ)

30+ AMSA chapter members provided over 100 diabetes and hypertension screenings at our local Wal-Mart Supercenter. In addition, we provided Spanish translators, provided bilingual health education for diabetes and hypertension, breast cancer awareness materials and education, and provided information and enrollment for those who have inadequate access to healthcare or who were uninsured.

 

Community Health Screening (Medical College of Wisconsin)

It involves our group working with an underserved community (in this case, an inner city church, here in Milwaukee). We provide blood pressure measures and information on healthy living and Health care assistance programs to the members after church service

 

A Day in a Life of a Primary Care Physician (Sophie Davis/CUNY Medical School)

Three Primary Care Physicians came to speak to students about their careers and what primary care entails. We had a pediatrician who also did preventative medicine, an internist, and a family practitioner.

 

Diabetic Halloween (Medical Univ of South Carolina)

This is a fun project in which multiple groups on campus set up fun booths where they have games and give out toy prizes, sugar free candy, and/or fruit. This event is focused for kids with diabetes but we opened it up this year to all children in the hospital. It is a great way for them to celebrate Halloween in a fun and healthy way.

 

Diabetes Screening (American Unive of the Caribbean)

AMSA at AUC began a community outreach to the island public who have an extremely high incidence of diabetes. AMSA at AUC began community diabetes screening and education, obtaining a medical director, and has been extremely popular; we have screened over 1,000 people so far.

 

Domestic Violence Awareness Week (Univ of Pittsburgh)

Coincided with DV awareness month (Oct); brought in a DV survivor to speak, ran role-playing workshops, provided purple ribbons, provided statistics and tips on how to approach patients and ask questions in patient-doctor setting.

 

Gun Violence Awareness and Prevention Workshop (George Washington Univ)

With the help of speakers (from public health, psychiatry, PSR, and a gun violence survivor), a video, and handouts, we held a workshop to elucidate the effects of gun violence and the need for primary prevention by physicians. Our objectives were to bring about awareness of the issues of gun violence, provide some training in recognition, prevention, and counseling, and demonstrate the need for advocacy for gun control measures.

 

Health Fair for the Underserved (Sacramento City College - Premed)

The goal of this health fair is to help many of the college students become aware that there is affordable health care. If they still can not seem to find any health care they can get free flu shots and HIV testing as well. We also provided the college students with information about clinic, letting them become aware of reduction fee during a doctor visit.

 

Glaucoma Screening (University of Michigan)

Screen elderly for glaucoma. We learn how to use an ophthalmoscope, and they are tested for glaucoma. Win-win situation.

 

Harm Reduction (George Washington Univ)

We hosted a speaker from Prevention Works, a needle exchange program, and provided lunch for volunteers to put together needle exchange kits.

 

Healthy Shopping Tours (Eastern Carolina Univ)

AMSA members will provide shopping tours in local grocery stores to help show people how to choose healthy alternatives and eat their way to better health!

 

Mercury Thermometer Swap (Univ of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana)

We go around town and give digital thermometers to people who hand in a mercury one.

 

Midnight Run (Sophie Davis/CUNY Medical School)

A month before the event, used clothing and canned food drives were initiated for faculty and students. On the day of the event, 25 students volunteered to make lunches and organize donations, and later distributed them directly to homeless individuals in Manhattan throughout the night.

 

Obesity Education and Prevention (Brody SOM at Eastern Carolina Univ)

AMSA members will be providing BMI measurements, nutrition counseling, and will be promoting physical activity and healthy lifestyles at our local mall. In addition, nutrition guides to healthy eating will be provided

 

Providing Antiretroviral Therapy: The Glass is Half Full (Univ of Minnesota Twin Cities Med School)

We had 15 community organizations come in and set up booths with information about their organizations and ways that students can become involved.

 

Reproductive Lecture Series (George Washington Univ)

We hosted 3 lunchtime speakers on Emergency Contraception, Options Counseling to Minority Populations, and RU486.

 

Sex Education and STD Prevention Campaign (Eastern Carolina Univ)

AMSA will provide education and information about STDs to local homeless shelter residents and the community.

 

Shadow (University of Pittsburgh)

One-on-one relationship between medical student and homeless person; benefits both par ties: medical student learns about difficulties and experiences, homeless person benefits from companionship and health care

 

Slipping through the cracks… Who's responsibile? The underserved and the evolution of "Safety Net Medicine" (Drexel Univ)

This was an open panel discussion regarding the inability of the uninsured to receive medical care. Most of the dialogue was centered on experiences for Philadelphia's Chinatown Free Clinic.

 

Spring Break Reachout (UT Medical Branch-Galveston)

We obtained 1000 free condoms from the county health department and distributed them to bars during spring break week (we are a beach town).

 

Students Teaching AIDS To Students (STATS) (UT Medical Branch-Galveston, Univ of PA, Columbia Univ)

We do a very successful STATS program every year, teaching to high school students in their science classes (about 600 students at the local high school last year).

 

Trick-Can Treat or Hunger Isn't Healthy (Univ of Minnesota, University of South Dakota)

We went out to local areas a few days prior to Halloween and put bags with notes on people's doors, and then on Halloween, instead of tick-or-treating for candy, we collected canned goods. We filled a Honda Civic, a minivan and a station wagon with food!

 

UIC Medical School Night (UIC-Rockford)

Rockford has a local minor league hockey team--the Icehogs. Every year the arena has a "UIC Medical school night" in which we set up a booth and hand out information about clinics and our school and whatnot. This year we also did blood pressure screening at it, handed out a handout to each "subject" which said their blood pressure and gave info about hypertension and blood pressure in general, and then we gave them each a UIC med school waterbottle (these were free for us, so we weren't out any money for the whole night). It was fun medical awareness/education night, and we got to see a hockey game and get food for free!

 

Yellow Ribbon Program (University of Health Sciences in Kansas City)

Because of the alarming increase rates of teenage suicide in the country, we are joining in an effort to provide those who feel helpless with an option that could save their lives. Yellow Ribbon is a program in which students go to middle schools and high schools and speak about suicide. It encourages people to carry a card in their wallet with a yellow ribbon and if they ever feel lonely or helpless they can hand it out to somebody else. T the card has simple instructions for anyone who receives it to follow.