OVERVIEW

Thank you so much for taking time to look at our blog! We are a group of medical students who are passionate about training in underserved areas. This January and February, we are in Peru, Uganda, India, and Costa Rica internationally as well as locally in Flint and Lansing completing volunteer service, rotating in hospitals and clinics, and learning about international medicine and local underserved health care. We appreciate any time you take to read our reflections and any donations you might offer.

Please click the “Donate” link on the side for more details on how to give directly to these communities.


Tuesday, February 7

Hamilton North Pointe Clinic and Breast Cancer and the Environment

I've been working at the North Pointe Hamilton Clinic on the North side of Flint since early January.  I see patients with the Med/Peds residents and then present the cases to the attending physicians.  The clinic has been very busy lately!  I've been able to interact with a multitude of patients from different backgrounds.  The clinic serves a population that is mostly Medicare, Medicaid, or uninsured.  Most of the patients have multiple chronic medical conditions that have not been addressed in many years.  I get to work with the residents in creating a plan of attack on which issues to address first, and which ones can wait until later.  I am getting more comfortable with management of diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and COPD.   I also get to help with a lot of well child visits, which are my favorite!  I love seeing kids and counseling parents on nutrition, anticipatory guidance, safety, and behavior.

I've also been working with the MSU Extension office here in Flint on a research project showing a connection between the consumption of high amounts of animal fat, exposure to phthalates, and BPA exposure during adolescence and the later development of breast cancer.  I will be going around to various schools in Flint this month presenting the research results after nutrition classes.  My goal is to make the public aware of the importance of a healthy diet and the dangers of certain chemicals (phthalates and BPA) and what kinds of products contain those chemicals.  Hopefully I can make an impact.

These two months of LMU are flying by!  I've learned a lot and have enjoyed the exposure to underserved populations.  I plan to take this knowledge and incorporate it in my future patient encounters no matter where I end up practicing.

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