The student-run free clinic is in need of the following items: white socks, travel size deodorant, insect repellent, sunscreen, reusable water bottles, granola bars, and other to-go snacks. Donations can be placed in the blue bins located at the Medical Sciences Building in the first-and second-year lecture halls and the Mastin Professional Building in Suite 202.
Blake Tennant, a fourth-year medical student at the USA College of Medicine and PsychSIGN president, said giving back to the community is important for medical students. “It reminds us that the calling of a physician is not about the salary or social status, but rather about dedicating our time and expertise to the betterment of our patients,” he said.
PsychSIGN is a national network of medical students interested in psychiatry, from those with a rough interest in the brain and mind to those already in the residency application and match process. “The purpose of PsychSIGN is to encourage interest in psychiatry, increase mental health awareness, provide leadership and service opportunities, foster networking opportunities and attend psychiatric conferences and events,” Tennant said.
The USA Student-Run Free Clinic was created entirely by students and provides free wellness services to the homeless population of Mobile. The clinic is in the process of moving to the Salvation Army of Coastal Alabama. It is one of the only free, inter-professional student-run clinics in the nation where students from multiple health professional schools collaborate to provide care to the community’s homeless population.
Contact Kevin Putinta, PsychSIGN community service chair, at kmp1321@jagmail.southalabama.edu for more information.
