Engaging Medical Students in Community Breast Cancer Prevention: The Mammography Art Initiative
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The health disparities in Miami are easily hidden by the allure of skyscrapers and ocean views, but when working on the Linda Fenner 3D Mobile Mammography Center (LFMMC) the reality of the poverty divide is striking. Students at Florida International University’s (FIU) Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine (HWCOM) took the opportunity to address one of these health disparities by creating the Mammography Art Initiative (MAI). Research has shown that minority women in South Florida seek preventative breast health care at lower rates than their non-minority counterparts, thus MAI was established to address this disparity by improving access to affordable breast health services, such as free screening mammograms and education for underserved women in Miami. MAI first began as a student-led initiative when students recognized an alarming disparity in their community and with the support of medical school deans and staff, the LFMMC was born from the students’ passion project. MAI’s main focus is to ensure women who require further testing and support are not left behind after an initial screening mammogram. A zipcode should not be a determining factor of health outcomes and MAI is one of the many steps needed to achieve this.
Authors:
- Daniella Nunez, Medical Student, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University
- Seema Azim, Medical Student, Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine at Florida International University
