Calling all Med Student Musicians...

Yet another service activitiy for those wanting to get immersed in the Providence community. Check out Community Music Works, a local organization working to make a difference in the lives of children through music. They bring music lessons and other afterschool programming to kids and families on the West End and South Side--areas that have been identified as some of the poorest in Rhode Island.

Community Music Works is looking for med students who would like to serve as Music Mentors for their youth. This program requires only a few hours of commitment sprinkled throughout the month, and it's a great opportunity for those who want to get a better feel of the social and economic factors perpetuating health disparities in Rhode Island's poor. (Psst--It's opportunities like this that could be used as "service learning experiences" for those of you wanting to participate in the Scholarly Concentration in Advocacy and Activism!)

Want to get involved? They're looking mainly for students who play violin, viola, or cello. However, you can also participate by volunteering to be on their list of potential accompanists if you play piano. Email margret_chang@brown.edu if you would like more information.

Learn more about Community Music Works at: http://www.communitymusicworks.org/.

Updates: Community Service Opportunities

Hi everyone,

We have an exciting community service opportunity coming up:

Chad Brown Health Center 5K Race and Wellness Fair (Saturday, September 22)

Looking for a chance to get some hands-on exposure with blood pressure and diabetes screenings? Do you want to work with underserved communities in Providence and mingle with immigrants and refugees? If you said "yes" to any of the above, your help would be much needed during the Chad Brown Race and Wellness Fair. They are looking for med students to help with health screenings during the event and will provide an orientation/training session to everyone who wants to participate.

Many Brown Med students have participated in these screenings throughout the year, and Chad Brown is now looking for a med student to serve as a "point person" to help organize these screenings. If you are interested in being a contact person or if you want more information about Chad Brown, please email Dr. Fadya El Rayess (medical director) at ferayess@chadbrownhealth.org.

Visit the Chad Brown website: http://www.chadbrownhealth.org/ to find out more!

Providence Neighborhood Tour--Saturday, September 8

Hi everyone,

Turns out there's a neat "neighborhood tour" on Saturday that's designed to give Brown University students a chance to learn about the Providence community. Looks like a really neat opportunity for med students too!

Here's the direct link to the website for more info:

http://www.brown.edu/Departments/Swearer_Center/scholarship/ucaapcal.shtml

Thanks,

Margret

Disturbing news on the RIte Care front...

Here's an article that recently appeared in the Providence Journal regarding the effect of recent policy changes on RIte Care (RI state child health insurance). Can't say that it's a surprise, but it's a disturbing illustration of the impact a piece of legislation can have on public health...

http://www.projo.com/news/content/rite_care_decline_09-04-07_766UO58.342e937.html

Welcome Class of 2011!

Just wanted to extend an official welcome to members of the Class of 2011 who have subscribed to the blog. This space serves as a way that you can get in contact with clinical faculty and community based organizations that may not be on any of the student listservs run by Brown University. It is also a place where people can post select articles, stories, or other informational tidbits to keep everyone "in the know" about what's happening in the Providence community or in the world of health advocacy.

BTW--Check out the "Spotlight on the Community" box for a short profile about community based organizations that are interested in partnering with med students. This box will be updated semi-regularly (approx. every 2-3 weeks).

Stay tuned for more!

Thanks,

Margret