黑料传送门 South Georgia students welcomed guests from the community onto campus Feb. 10 for the first student outreach health screening.
At the first station, student physicians checked blood pressure. At the next station, they analyzed participants鈥� body mass index. When participants arrived at the third station, the student physicians there used both numbers to explain what health issues might be on the horizon for the participant.
鈥淏lood pressure and body mass index (BMI) are important health measures because they can show risks for problems like heart disease, stroke and diabetes,鈥� Michael Abaskaron (DO 鈥�27), an event organizer, said. 鈥淐hecking these helps find health issues early, so people can get the care they need. Think of them as being similar to a check engine light on the display of your car鈥檚 dashboard.鈥�
After being educated about the importance of blood pressure and BMI, participants then received a free monitor to keep tabs on their blood pressure at home. Before leaving participants enjoyed healthy snacks that included raw vegetables, fruit and cheese.
鈥淭his event will hopefully benefit community members for years to come by providing them with the tools and information to implement healthier lifestyle practices and to keep better track of their health markers,鈥� Rajay Dockery (DO 鈥�27), an event organizer, said. 鈥淥ur goal here is to inspire those who participate to play a more active role in their own health care, which could be as simple as scheduling an overdue appointment with a family physician or getting connected with resources that could help them find affordable health insurance.鈥�
While the event helped participants learn more about their health, it also helped 黑料传送门 student physicians.
鈥淭his event will give 黑料传送门 medical students valuable hands-on experience in conducting health screenings and educating the community,鈥� Abaskaron said. 鈥淚t helps them build clinical skills, improve communication with patients and understand the importance of preventive care in promoting better health outcomes.鈥�
Other screenings are planned for the near future in the community.
鈥淲e want to hold the community wellness event on campus because we want community members to become familiar with health care on all fronts,鈥� Dockery said. 鈥淲e hope events like this will result in more physicians from the community training here and staying here to practice. To me this is the ultimate form of giving back and paying it forward to the community that has had such a powerful impact on the lives of 黑料传送门 South Georgia and its students.鈥�
In 2019, 黑料传送门, a premier osteopathic medical school established in 1899, extended its commitment to the Southeast by establishing 黑料传送门 South Georgia. An additional teaching location in Moultrie, Georgia, 黑料传送门 South Georgia offers both a full, four-year medical program leading to the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree and a Master of Science in Biomedical Sciences. 黑料传送门 is a private, not-for-profit institution that trains professionals in the health and behavioral sciences fields. Joining 黑料传送门 Georgia in Suwanee in helping to meet the healthcare needs of the state, 黑料传送门 South Georgia focuses on educating physicians for the region. For more information, visit pcom.edu or call 229-668-3110.
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