BUIES CREEK, North Carolina – The Campbell University Jerry M. Wallace School of Medicine has partnered with North Carolina Baptist Men to provide health screenings at mobile clinics. Medical faculty and students provide basic health screenings and referrals in the mobile clinic facility provided by the NC Baptist Men’s Baptists on Mission medical/dental ministry.
The medical school’s mission is “to educate and prepare community-based osteopathic physicians in a Christian environment to care of the rural and underserved populations in North Carolina, the Southeastern United States, and the nation,” and partnering with the North Carolina Baptist Men to host mobile clinics is just one small step in fulfilling this mission. Campbell has staffed two mobile clinics this year in communities right outside the medical school doors – in Benson and Lillington, North Carolina – and plan to continue to partner with the Baptist ministry to host clinics regularly throughout each academic year.
“We cannot serve the community with these vehicles without healthcare professionals giving of their time and talents,” said Daniel M. Deaton, Jr. director of missions for the Little River Baptist Association.
Patients who attend the clinics receive dental care, medical screenings, and eye care. While some patients had heard about the clinic and planned to attend, many stated they simply saw the mobile clinic and stopped by to receive care.
“At Campbell, we train our students to care for their patients’ mind, body, and spirit,” said Dr. John M. Kauffman, dean of the medical school. “Partnering with the Baptist Men’s ministry creates opportunities for our students to have hands on experience throughout the year with patients and the opportunity to offer prayer and spiritual counseling as well.”
“As a first year medical student at CUSOM, the opportunity to volunteer with the mobile medical bus helps me utilize the skills I have learned class and apply them to real life situations,” said Roshni Delwadia. “More importantly, working at the medical bus events taught me valuable lessons about the need for medical care in rural areas. Being able to assist patients in need challenges me to approach medicine with a different perspective, a perspective that helps me become more a more empathetic and effective physician. Through this experience, CUSOM gives us the unique opportunity to develop into physicians who are capable of treating patients from all walks of life with the utmost love and care…and for that I am truly blessed.”
“As a medical student, we sit through didactics Monday through Friday – I am constantly craving real patient contact to continue to remind myself that there is an application for all of the reading, power points, and notes,” said second year medical student, Angeline Modesti. “As an osteopathic school, one of our goals is to provide health care to those that do not have standard access, and we focus on whole patient care – a large part of that is preventative care and screenings. Working with the Baptist on Mission medical bus allows us to meet both of those goals.”
In addition to staffing mobile health screening clinics this semester, Campbell medical students will continue to work with the Episcopal Farmworkers’ ministry and take a mission team to Honduras over Spring Break.