There is an increasing need for medical schools to engage communities across their clinical, research and educational missions. Our UNMC COM Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Office is working to assist with this objective. Community engagement is not just an outreach service, it is a bidirectional relationship and interaction between the community and our institution.
This was the essence of the "soccer vaccination event" at Omaha South High School on June 25. Our students, faculty and staff from UNMC and Nebraska Medicine collaborated with multiple organizations and community leaders, including the Mexican soccer legend "El Matador" Luis Hernández, to vaccinate families in Omaha, Nebraska.
But what is the perception of our students who volunteered at this event? Here are their voices:
Carmen Ochoa (third-year medical student):
- How did you hear about the vaccine soccer event? "I heard about the soccer event from several sources, including from Dr. De Alba, and from UNMC's LMSA chapter."
- How do you feel you contributed to the success of the day? "Our main volunteer role was to help set up before the event began and to greet/direct people when they arrived. More than that, I felt that it was good to represent UNMC as medical students and community members, who are supportive of the event."
- How do you juggle studying and being involved in your community? "I have found that what works best for me is volunteering for stand-alone events. As much as I would love to be able to commit to a weekly or monthly volunteer activity, I know that that is not attainable for me at this stage in my training. I feel that participating in events is a great way to still be involved in the community by volunteering while still making sure that school remains my top priority."
Daniela Cortés Reyes (fourth-year medical student)
- Were you able to help in the coordination of the vaccine soccer event? (What was your role?) "My role was to coordinate student volunteers for the vaccine soccer event on behalf of the UNMC Latino Medical Student Association. Then, during the event, we helped direct everyone to make it easier for our guests."
- How often do you participate in activities like this one? "This is a unique event that I can't say I've ever experienced before, but I do volunteer often. Service learning is a pillar of medical education."
- What would you tell your classmates about community engagement? "It is fulfilling to touch roots with the communities you serve. Volunteering can be both fulfilling for community members and students alike."
Ryan Boyland (fourth-year medical student):
- Why did you choose to participate in the vaccine soccer event? "It’s important for future physicians to know and understand the communities which they serve, so I try to get out and involved as much as I can. I really like soccer, even though I don’t follow it as much as I should, so that was an added benefit. I think it’s important, whenever you’re at a major institution in a given area, to be intentional about interactions with surrounding communities. This activity seemed as if it was doing that based on the individuals involved and how they answered questions I asked regarding the event."
- Do you feel that the UNMC College of Medicine has enough of these opportunities to get you engaged in the community? "Absolutely not! I feel like they should have more. I would love to see this initiative expanded. From a community perspective, it was a great way to get people out of their homes for a good cause and a fun event. Seeing the way so many staff and kids were excited about meeting Luis Hernández was fantastic, and knowing that we could pair a fun event with the opportunity to get people vaccinated was the icing on the cake. Overall, I’d say it was a success and I can’t wait for something similar to happen again."
- What would you tell the DEI office about community engagement? "I think this model of pairing a vaccine clinic or other health fair with another event is great. It serves to show that UNMC and the College of Medicine care about surrounding communities. It also relieves some of the stigma surrounding health care and health care professionals and provides an opportunity for UNMC students to get out of the classrooms and meet some of the people they’ll be caring for in the future."