More than 50 ACPHS students served as community health educators at Crossgates Mall on Saturday, Oct. 15, dispensing information on medication safety and screening shoppers for diabetes, high blood pressure, and abnormal bone density.
More than 100 community members stopped by the tables to take advantage of the students’ expertise and the free screenings. Community organizations also participated, with information on tobacco cessation and breast cancer detection, among other things.
Student organizers, members of the campus chapter of the American Pharmacists Association-Academy of Student Pharmacists (APhA-ASP), declared the event a success. The seventh annual Health Expo met its goal of educating people and showed the community what ACPHS is all about, they said.
“We’re not just here going to school, we’re giving back to the community,” said organizer Atalya Morgan, a P3 student. She also found it personally rewarding to share information with people who had less access to resources than she has, she said.
In addition to providing a valuable service, students reaped other benefits from their involvement in the Health Expo. For one, they put into practice the very skills they will need as pharmacists interacting with patients and consumers someday, said Anjali Kota, a P3 student.
“Patient education is a big aspect of whatever (health-related) field you go into,” Kota said. “And pharmacists are very accessible.”
They also developed leadership skills in learning how to plan an event of that size in a public space, they said. Teamwork, patience, and social interaction were put to the test.
“I’ve never stepped out of my comfort zone like I did for this event,” said Nana Akua Adonu, a P1 student who said she will participate in the future.
Morgan said she also learned about promoting activities through interactions with local media.
Other students who helped coordinate the event were Avani Topiwala, Elizabeth Gambacorta and Han Jeong.