Students learn skin cancer screening at the GO Run

Mobile dermatologist Dr. Kathryn Dempsey conducts a skin screening while medical student Brittany Jackson looks on at the 12th Annual GO Run.

Students at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine gained experience screening participants for skin cancer at the 12th Annual GO Run on Saturday, Sept. 28.

The five student volunteers worked under the supervision of Mobile dermatologist Kathryn Dempsey, M.D., at a skin screening tent organized by USA Health Mitchell Cancer Institute.

Raymond Dolcelli, a third-year medical student, said he volunteered because he’s considering a career in dermatology. “I wanted to take the opportunity to learn from and interact with a local dermatologist while using my skills to provide an important preventative health service for my community,” he said. “It felt wonderful to be able to give peace of mind to several of the runners who were concerned about skin lesions that turned out to be benign.”

The students included Dolcelli and second-year students Alex Tankersley, Hannah Granger, Brittany Jackson and Lexie Hensley. “I wanted to take the opportunity to not only enrich my knowledge of dermatologic health but also to promote the importance of visiting a dermatologist,” said Jackson. “I learned how to properly do a skin test and successfully screened individuals who may not have been tested otherwise.

While visiting booths Saturday, Sandy Noll of Theodore said that a screening at the GO Run four years ago may have saved her life.

“The doctor looked at the spot and said, ‘I can’t say for sure, but you need to have it looked at,’” Noll recalled. She then made an appointment with a local dermatologist, who diagnosed the spot as skin cancer and recommended Mohs surgery, which was successful.

“It was a serious scare,” said her daughter, Kerrie Noll.

Kelly Roveda, M.D., associate dean for student affairs, said participating in community activities helps to fulfill the USA College of Medicine mission statement: “We educate. We discover. We serve.”

“Part of preparing the next generation of physicians to enter the workforce includes cultivating their desire to serve their community at large,” Roveda said. “By participating in activities such as skin screening at the GO Run, our students here at the USA College of Medicine can experience firsthand the impact a physician can have in the community outside the structure of a hospital or clinic setting.”