Med Students support Tools for School Health and Resource Fair

Twenty L2 and L3 LSU Health New Orleans medical students, along with Family Medicine residents and School of Medicine faculty, provided LHSAA physicals to more than 70 student athletes at the 2016 Tools for Schools Health and Resource Fair. The event, hosted by the Dryades YMCA and Mystic Krewe of Femme Fatale, is designed to help children get ready to go back to school.

The LSU Health New Orleans volunteers took blood pressures, checked heart & lung sounds and performed mini musculoskeletal exams and neurological exams.

Not missing an opportunity to contribute to the health of the community, they also checked blood pressure for about a dozen adults who were participating in the Fair with their children.

The outreach was organized by the Community Outreach Rebuilding and Education (CORE) LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine student interest group. CORE offers students the opportunity to volunteer on service projects within the New Orleans inner city community and to establish a connection with LSU Health New Orleans medical school and the underserved population. CORE provides countless medical activities such as health screenings and clinics, as well as outreach efforts like assisting with the soup kitchen at the Rebuild Center and Habitat for Humanity. Its goal is to provide opportunities for medical students to form a connection with the surrounding community and to help develop compassionate and caring physicians.

CORE participated in Tools for School last year, too, and performed physical exams on about 100 student athletes (K-12) to play school sports.

"It's a win-win for us and the children," notes Dr. Hamilton Farris, LSU Health New Orleans School of Medicine Assistant Dean of Student Affairs and CORE faculty advisor. "Our students, residents and faculty get practice working for our community and the children (and some parents) get a physical and health screening."