One of the guests at the Ajman Center for Entrepreneurship said, “Thank you, Gulf Medical University and Thumbay University Hospital for considering our health and wellness. We value your commitment to spreading health awareness.” This very statement describes the impact of a community outreach program held on February 23, 2023, conducted by College of Medicine, Gulf Medical University supported by Thumbay University Hospital, Ajman.
In addition, this community engagement activity served as a great learning opportunity for the third year MBBS students and master students of Public Health program.
“This experience has given us the opportunity to improve our communication and clinical skills by interacting with real patients about their health concerns. The tasks assigned to us were to assess patients’ blood pressure, as well as creating a record of patient and family medical history” said a medical student documenting her findings. The on-site nurse measured the blood sugar levels of participants, and a licensed GP provided free consultation. Patients who needed additional consultation following this initial screening were referred to Thumbay University Hospital for further evaluation.
“Community service allowed us to reflect on the difference we are making in the society. We gained a greater understanding of our roles in the community, as well as the impact of our contributions towards those in need of service. We were exposed to many different kinds of people, environments, and situations. We will also internalize the information that we found personally insightful for our future use. It increased our social connectivity, because the community service necessitated us to interact, understand and work with other individuals”, summarized a public health master student reflecting on his experience.
“Medical Education does not exist to provide students with a way of making a living and enrich their portfolio’s, but to ensure the health of the community”, said Prof. Manda Venkatramana, Vice Chancellor Academics and Dean, College of Medicine, who is also the Chair of GMU Community Engagement Committee.