Students from the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons recently organized a health fair in New York City, drawing over 120 volunteers to Washington Heights to serve more than 500 community members. The event, held on May 10, was led by recent graduates Victoria Solomon and Kimberly Sanchez along with fourth-year medical student Gerardo Ramos-Lemos.
Volunteers came from several medical schools across the city, including Weill Cornell Medicine, New York Medical College, New York Institute of Technology, SUNY Downstate, CUNY School of Medicine, and Albert Einstein College of Medicine. The Northeast chapter of the Latinx Medical Student Association also participated. Columbia University Irving Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian partnered to host the event.
Community members received essential health screenings for conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. They also received culturally competent health education focused on nutrition and disease prevention. Training sessions included hands-only CPR and AED use, Narcan administration, and bleeding control techniques.
The organizers aimed to make healthcare more accessible through bilingual services and interactive education stations. “This was the first event of this scale that I’ve ever organized,” said Sanchez. “As a low-income, first-generation college graduate and Latina, I’m deeply passionate about combating health care disparities.”
First-year medical student Demetrius Bryson expressed his motivation: “This experience reminded us why we entered medicine in the first place—to connect, to care, and to uplift.”
Guidance for the event came from faculty advisers including an assistant professor of pediatrics and an associate professor of medicine at Columbia University. Sandra Harris and Naomi Alcantara also contributed guidance. Plans are underway to make this health fair an annual tradition.
