Wayne State University medical and pharmacy students have completed another year of volunteering at a popular summer health checkup for community members walking the Detroit Riverwalk every Tuesday morning.

Detroit Riverfront Walkers are men and women in the Detroit area who walk along the riverfront to embrace a healthier lifestyle by introducing them to fun fitness activities, checkups and health education. Every Tuesday, weather permitting, WSU students conduct blood pressure screenings and give educational talks on nutrition and general medical issues.

The Community Service Program was initiated by Jennifer Mendes, Ph.D., Associate Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Director of Community Engagement, and was first offered to medical students in June 2014. Sessions are offered in partnership with the Detroit Riverfront Conservancy.

Medical student volunteerism is organized by sophomores Chayton Fivecoat and Denise Bilbao, co-chairs of the American Medical Association WSU Chapter Community Service Committee. The two trade off working with faculty to train volunteers how to interact with patients, collect medical histories, and measure blood pressure.

Students learned to build rapport with patients, elicit and record medical history and current medications, record blood pressure, and connect patients to resources and information to better manage their health through diet and exercise. .

“The key to our success this year has been our team’s dedication to thoroughly training our volunteers at the start of each session,” Bilbao said. Emphasis was placed on emphasizing the more human aspects of patient interaction. Faculty members learned about the importance of assessing patients, looking at patients as human beings, not just a set of vitals and diagnostics. In my part of the training, the volunteers took the time to ask each patient how their morning walk was, and to try to learn from each interaction. I also emphasized the importance of building trusting relationships with patients through simple gestures. I was greeted with friendly faces who were eager to learn and have conversations rather than volunteers doing the work.”

Seeing a patient in a clinic can be a very isolating experience that can undermine the importance of understanding an individual’s lifestyle, values ​​and personality, Bilbao added. is a very unique experience, as patients come in the middle of a joyful event, often making small talk with friends and family, and being able to really see their normal day-to-day existence. In addition to being an excellent opportunity to develop technical and communicative clinical skills, participating in this program emphasizes the importance of considering non-medical aspects of a patient’s life, individual It’s a great opportunity for personal and professional growth.”

Students earn Service Learning credits for their participation. Between her June and late August of this year, students and faculty recorded 693 blood pressure screenings, a sharp increase from a year ago. The entire program has been put on hold for 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re back in 2021, but had fewer attendees than usual that summer.

“It was great to see so many of last year’s Riverfront Walkers stop by and participate in the screening program this summer. As part of it, it was very heartwarming to see the students working on the walkers, and this year saw record numbers of participants since the pandemic, a prime example of building trust in the community. I have.”

Volunteers included first- and second-year medical students, residents in internal medicine and medical pediatrics, and students at the WSU Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

Lynn Pham Leading pharmacy student volunteers and coordinating care with Bilbao and Five Courts in the 2024 PhD Candidate class of pharmacy.

“Riverfront Walkers enjoys being able to help students put their clinical skills into practice while also learning more about their health from students. Co-Director of Service Learning Segment 1 and Pharmaceutical Practice Adjunct Assistant Professor Rima Charara, Pharm.D., and other faculty volunteers also helped keep the program running smoothly this year.Dr. It provides a fun educational experience with hands-on opportunities,” said Pham. “Each week, I left feeling grateful and grateful for the opportunity to give back to my local Detroit community. After this opportunity, I am very satisfied with my blood pressure measurement and can confidently say that I have strengthened my patient counseling skills. We are excited to work with them to further expand our clinical skills and give back to the community.”

Andrew Markowitz, M.D., ’85 FACOG, Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, is one of WSU faculty members who volunteer to supervise and mentor students at weekly community outreach events.

“I am honored to be mentoring the next generation of medical students,” said Dr. Markowitz, first-year course director of population, patient, physician and professionalism at the medical school. You can have direct contact with patients just weeks after starting your medical training. In addition to having their blood pressure measured, students begin to understand and experience the joy of clinical interaction and the importance of empathic communication in developing trust.This program strengthens community involvement and symbolizes the mission of the Wayne State University School of Medicine. ”