Fifteen medical students from Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine recently volunteered at a community event to help attendees obtain much-needed screenings for hepatitis.
The Asian Pacific American Medical Students Association (APAMSA) at OUWB — a student organization — worked in conjunction with the Oakland County Health Department to deliver free screenings to about 25 community members.
The screenings took place during a free community clinic held by the Wayne State School of Medicine APAMSA chapter at the Chinese Community Center in Madison Heights.
Emily Xiong, M2, president, APAMSA, said such screenings are critical for the Asian American community.
According to the CDC, one in 12 Asian Americans in the U.S. is chronically infected with hepatitis B in comparison with 1 in 1,000 non-Hispanic Whites. Asian Americans comprise more than half of the nation’s 860,000 to 2.4 million people chronically infected.
“Part of the reason is because of discrepancies between vaccinating schedules in China versus here and the types of vaccines offered,” said Xiong. “A lot of people can fall through the cracks and be at higher risk … early detection leads to much better health outcomes.”
Screening started with a blood draw that was then sent to a lab by the Oakland County Health Department. Xiong said any costs involved were covered by the state of Michigan.
After about a week, results were sent to Oakland University’s Graham Health Center. They were then processed and mailed to patients by health center officials, Xiong, and Matthew Su, M2, vice president, APAMSA.
Volunteering for this event meant a lot to students like Jessica Knapp, M2, and secretary, APAMSA. Knapp said she is the daughter of a Vietnamese immigrant mother, and that she has many family members who have had or been carriers of hepatitis and didn’t realize until they came to the U.S. and were formally screened.
“Because hepatitis can often go undiagnosed due to limited symptoms despite its potential for serious long-term complications, it was important to me to help provide other members of the community with the opportunity to access screening and learn more about their health,” she said.
Knapp said the experience also opened her eyes to how a “relatively simple screening event can create opportunities for education, early detection, and connection to care.”
“Many of the patients we served faced barriers such as language differences and limited access to health education, which reinforced for me that beyond providing health care, we also have to make sure that people can understand, access, and feel comfortable seeking that care,” she said.
Michael Vu, M2, treasurer, APAMSA, shared similar thoughts and said supporting the effort “was crucial to bridge these care gaps, raise awareness, and ensure that our local Chinese community received culturally competent care.”
“My main takeaway was seeing firsthand how direct community outreach and targeted screening can overcome systemic barriers to care,” he said. “These types of events build trust within the community and demonstrate the importance of student-led advocacy.”
The fact that so many OUWB students like Knapp and Vu volunteered for the event was “really great” and “heartwarming,” said Xiong. (It’s also consistent with OUWB’s mission, vision, and values that include “commitment to community engagement.”)
“A lot of times it’s easy to get caught up in thinking that instead of volunteering, we could be reviewing lectures,” she said. “But … it’s important to think outside ourselves and see outside of ourselves in that way.”
For more information, contact Andrew Dietderich, senior marketing specialist, OUWB, at adietderich@oakland.edu.
To request an interview, visit the OUWB Communications & Marketing webpage.
