Medical Students Form Preventive Medicine Team

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Posted on May 28, 2015

Public Relations Staff

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Second-year medical students at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine have formed a Preventive Medicine Team. The team reaches out to the local community by providing education about the prevention of common diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease.

USA medical student Jason Snider, a founder of the Preventive Medicine Team, said the team believes that such topics are rarely addressed with traditional education. Therefore, they educate on these topics to help the community better understand and prevent common diseases.

The team also attends local conferences, teaches lessons at USA's Student Run Clinic, and maintains an active outreach program with the local Boys & Girls Club. Topics addressed have included heart disease, hypertension, vaccinations, hygiene, effects of smoking, vitamins and exercise.

Snider says the team's most active community involvement is with the Boys and Girls Club outreach program. The team meets weekly at the local Boys & Girls Club to provide lessons to children between the ages of six and 10. There the team teaches interactive lessons on topics that can be left out of a traditional disease education.

“The children are heavily involved and are encouraged to ask and answer questions,” Snider said. “Each lesson involves a teaching component along with an activity demonstrating that lesson’s concept.” 

Those active with the team are committed to continuing the community outreach. Recently, they elected officers from the first-year class to take over the Preventive Medicine Team as the second-year students transition into their third year. 

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