AMSA Minority Affairs Committee Grab Bag of Project Ideas
Interested in minority health and want to make a difference in your local community?
Here's a list of ideas to get you started. There are projects focusing on peer education, recruitment/mentoring, and community outreach. But they are just ideas - feel free to be creative!!
Also, remember:
- Network with other minority student groups at your medical school (such as the Black, Latino, Asian or Native American student groups). Co-sponsor their events, and ask them to co-sponsor your events.
- Identify which minority groups are heavily represented in your school's area. Your projects and goals can be targeted towards your community's particular needs.
- Take photos and keep us informed! Fill out this online project form to let the national AMSA leadership know when you organize an event. We will keep track of the MAC activities taking place all over the country.
Check out some ideas below, plus be sure to visit AMSA's Local Project Directory.
PEER EDUCATION
Simple projects that can make a big difference by creating awareness at your own medical school about race and ethnicity issues
1. Brown Bag Lunch Speakers / Discussions
Contact local minority physicians or other health professionals and ask them to speak to your class at lunchtime on topics concerning minority affairs in medicine, for example Native American Patients and Traditional Healing, Disparities in Health Care Access, or Physician Biases. Or, format the event as a discussion - for example, discuss the seven case studies in cultural competency provided on the AMSA website (under Diversity in Medicine).2. Show a movie!
Find out what videos are available at your university library on race relations or on minority health and show them at your medical school, perhaps during lunchtime or after class one day. After the movie/video screening, arrange for time for students to discuss their reactions. Two videos you might look for are:
• "Can We All Get Along?" from PBS (The MacNeil/Lehrer News Hour). Discusses the Rodney King incident, discrimination in the US, and more.
• "Cultural Bias in Education" from Films for the Humanities and Sciences. Discusses roadblocks to academic advancement.3. AMSA Diversity Shuffle
This is an exercise that helps to encourage discussion about differences and similarities within our communities. This can then be used as a springboard for a dialogue about power differences in our communities and how they can be addressed. Available online.
RECRUITMENT / MENTORING
Reach out to the minority youth in your local area to inspire them and advise them about making medicine into a career
1. Science Learning School Visits
Arrange for a group of medical students to visit a class at a local elementary school that has many minority kids and make a presentation on a health / science topic. Contact the class's teacher and the school's principal ahead of time to set up a session of about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Pick any topic that you are interested in teaching - (smoking, nutrition, even muscle physiology!) - just keep it simple and make your presentation hands-on and interactive. Remember, the goal is to show that science is fun!2. Med School Buddy Day
Arrange for kids from a local middle school or high school to shadow med students for a day, or even just for an afternoon. Pair each med student buddy that volunteers to help out with one or two kids. Make sure to get permission ahead of time from your med school administration so that the kids will be allowed to attend classes such as gross anatomy lab or histopath. Arrange a "wrap-up" time at the end of the day for the visiting students to ask questions and discuss their thoughts.3. Panel for Pre-meds
Many universities have pre-med student groups specifically geared towards underrepresented minority students. Contact these pre-med groups to set up a panel or discussion in which medical students can advise about MCAT preparation, financial aid, applications, interviews and the myths and truths of medical school life. At schools that do not have groups or resources for minority pre-med students, this project would be even more meaningful! In that case, find a minority pre-med student you know personally and have them help you to contact other minority pre-meds who would attend the panel.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Take action in your local community by reaching out to minority groups who have less access to health care
1. Volunteer at a Free Clinic
Find out what types of free health care is available to the people in your community. Try contacting the local public health department, a local migrant worker's clinic or a student-run clinic in the area. Medical students can sign up to volunteer on a specified day of each week.2. Health Screening and Health Information Fair
Organize and perform free health screenings for your local minority population. These screenings could be held at places of worship (churches, temples, mosques), at community centers, or at schools. Contact local minority physicians or contact the marketing department of a local hospital to help you coordinate the health screening. There are many diseases to screen for - try to tailor your event to the population you are helping. For children, you could screen for asthma or lead poisoning and arrange for immunizations to be given. For older adults, screen for hypertension, cholesterol, diabetes, osteoporosis or glaucoma. Also, provide pamphlets and other information on prevalent concerns such as smoking, obesity or fitness. If you will be serving a non-English-speaking population, make sure to have interpreters available at the event.3. Flu Shot Clinic
The flu is a serious problem especially for minority elderly. Talk to a local physician or pharmacist to have them donate flu shots. Then, set up a "clinic" at a community center or place of worship. Third-year or fourth-year med students can administer the flu shots.