Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association hosts community health fair

On Sunday, Nov. 2, NEOMED's Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA) hosted a community health fair at The Chapel in Akron, Ohio, bringing together student organizations to provide free screenings and health education to the local Asian communities. The event primarily served attendees from Chinese, Vietnamese, Hmong and Burmese backgrounds.

Student volunteers offered a variety of services, including glucose checks, vision screenings, blood pressure checks, and heart and lung auscultation with pulse assessments. Educational stations covered topics such as sunscreen use, breast cancer screening, seated exercises with resistance bands, kidney stone and UTI prevention, mental health outreach, and information about health care innovation and access. The NEOMED Free Clinic provided guidance on free clinic services and general preventive care.

To enhance accessibility, APAMSA translated pamphlets into Chinese and Vietnamese, and volunteers provided in-person translation services to ensure that all participants could comfortably engage in screenings and understand the information provided. Volunteers shared that the experience strengthened their clinical skills and gave them valuable practice interacting with patients whose cultural backgrounds differed from their own.

The fair was made possible through strong collaboration across NEOMED student organizations. Volunteers from Internal Medicine, Ophthalmology, Cardiology, Family Medicine, Psychiatry, Nephrology, Dermatology, Pathology, Geriatrics, NEOvations, and the NEOMED Free Clinic contributed to a welcoming and educational environment that supported the diverse needs of the community.

We would like to extend a special thank-you to our community partners at The Chapel; Dr. Paul Lecat, Dr. Leon Zhong, and Dr. James Dang for serving as our supervising physicians; and all participating volunteers whose coordination ensured a smooth and impactful event. Their combined efforts strengthened APAMSA’s mission to promote culturally responsive care and expand outreach within Akron’s Asian communities.

- submitted by Madeline Dow, M2, community service/health fair chair, APAMSA