Be the Change
>> Sunday, December 26, 2010
Sometimes I feel like I should've accomplished more by now, as if most of the things I did before grad/med school didn't even scratch the surface of significance. I read articles about people around my age doing amazing things, like invent the Embrace infant warmer for premature babies or begin an organization like Invisible Children to aid kids in war-torn Uganda. It almost makes one pause and think, "What have I been doing? What have I done?"
There's a lot to be done, and there's a lot that can be done. As Gandhi said, we must indeed be the change we wish to see in the world. Only in the last few years have I, in some fashion, embraced those words. I used to think that I could only effect change once I become a doctor with real influence. But why necessarily wait that long when there's a lot each of us can do now? The time for action is now.
Granted, most of the med school projects that I'm involved in were "inherited" down to me, but they're worthy projects of their own accord. The first is the Patient Education Program. This program aims to educate patients at a free clinic on ways to better manage and improve their health at home. The second is the Hmong Health Education Program (HHEP). An outgoing M4 left us with a $30,000 grant that he secured to develop the HHEP. The aim is to increase health awareness in the Milwaukee Hmong community through various media efforts such as radio show broadcasts and PSAs. And third is the Health Fair hosted by APAMSA (Asian Pacific American Med Student Association). This event is hosted at a community center in a low-SES area of Milwaukee and focuses on health education, connecting people to community/government resources, free health-related give-aways, and some health screening.
With each program I've had the opportunity to help further develop it and improve upon what was handed down to me. With Patient Education, I think we've finally got something that works well within the clinic. With the HHEP, we've been expanding the program so that (we hope) it reaches more Hmong community members. And though the Health Fair just finished its second year, I hope it becomes an annual event with each year being better than the last.
In one of my last posts, I mentioned how my long-time friend Taylor is starting a non-profit to help further kids' education. This is very quickly becoming a reality, and hopefully soon-ish it'll be ready to get off the ground! He has allowed me to have some involvement and direction of his brainchild, a very great honor.
Lastly, my friend Alicia and I worked on a project for a course in grad school a couple years ago. Our idea was to design the concept for a video game to promote the teaching of genetics. Recently I had lunch with Alicia, who now works across the hall from the professor of that course. He still remembers our project and asks her occasionally when we're going to make it a reality (apparently, it was one of the highlights in that course for him that year). One day! The moment hasn't aligned yet for this, but we promise that one there'll be a video game on genetics. Below are a couple concepts drafted for this project. :-P
There's a lot to be done, and there's a lot that can be done. As Gandhi said, we must indeed be the change we wish to see in the world. Only in the last few years have I, in some fashion, embraced those words. I used to think that I could only effect change once I become a doctor with real influence. But why necessarily wait that long when there's a lot each of us can do now? The time for action is now.
Granted, most of the med school projects that I'm involved in were "inherited" down to me, but they're worthy projects of their own accord. The first is the Patient Education Program. This program aims to educate patients at a free clinic on ways to better manage and improve their health at home. The second is the Hmong Health Education Program (HHEP). An outgoing M4 left us with a $30,000 grant that he secured to develop the HHEP. The aim is to increase health awareness in the Milwaukee Hmong community through various media efforts such as radio show broadcasts and PSAs. And third is the Health Fair hosted by APAMSA (Asian Pacific American Med Student Association). This event is hosted at a community center in a low-SES area of Milwaukee and focuses on health education, connecting people to community/government resources, free health-related give-aways, and some health screening.
With each program I've had the opportunity to help further develop it and improve upon what was handed down to me. With Patient Education, I think we've finally got something that works well within the clinic. With the HHEP, we've been expanding the program so that (we hope) it reaches more Hmong community members. And though the Health Fair just finished its second year, I hope it becomes an annual event with each year being better than the last.
In one of my last posts, I mentioned how my long-time friend Taylor is starting a non-profit to help further kids' education. This is very quickly becoming a reality, and hopefully soon-ish it'll be ready to get off the ground! He has allowed me to have some involvement and direction of his brainchild, a very great honor.
Lastly, my friend Alicia and I worked on a project for a course in grad school a couple years ago. Our idea was to design the concept for a video game to promote the teaching of genetics. Recently I had lunch with Alicia, who now works across the hall from the professor of that course. He still remembers our project and asks her occasionally when we're going to make it a reality (apparently, it was one of the highlights in that course for him that year). One day! The moment hasn't aligned yet for this, but we promise that one there'll be a video game on genetics. Below are a couple concepts drafted for this project. :-P
Throughout all of this I've learned a few things. One: we can, right now, effect change - however great or small. Two: you can rarely go at it alone, as I've had co-chairs for programs, committee members, and good friends. And three: that it's okay to not be the inception of the change, but to be near that inception and to rally behind a cause is just as rewarding.
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