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This version of NSU News has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of NSU News, visit news.nova.edu.

This version of SharkBytes has been archived as of February 28, 2019. To search through archived articles, visit nova.edu/search. To access the new version of SharkBytes, visit sharkbytes.nova.edu.

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Division of Public Relations and Marketing Communications
Nova Southeastern University
3301 College Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33314-7796

nova.edu/prmc

SharkBytes Archives

Contact

Division of Public Relations and Marketing Communications
Nova Southeastern University
3301 College Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33314-7796

communications@nova.edu

NSU’s Medical School Expands Medical Outreach Trips to Developing Nations

Latest trips take students to Bangladesh, Peru, Jamaica, and Argentina to provide medical and humanitarian aid

FT. LAUDERDALE-DAVIE Fla. — Nova Southeastern University’s medical school recently expanded its international medical outreach programs to more developing nations with medical and humanitarian aid from students.

Countries such as Bangladesh, Peru, and Argentina have been added to the list of nations that already receive medical outreach from NSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM). Those nations include Jamaica, Ecuador, and the Dominican Republic.

During four recent medical outreach endeavors in December, second-year medical students took time off from their winter vacations to travel abroad to rural and medically underserved communities in Peru, Argentina, Bangladesh, and Jamaica to provide medical services such as physicals, cancer screenings, and other medical examinations.

Many of these medically underserved patients from poor, rural communities have never seen a physician before and suffer from illnesses such as tuberculosis, scabies, malnutrition, hypertension, and diabetes. The students, supervised by the college’s medical faculty and local physicians, bring medical supplies and provide health and wellness lessons to help patients live healthier lives.

“We decided to expand the medical outreach programs to reach out to more countries that need medical services,” said Robin J. Jacobs, Ph.D., M.S.W., an assistant professor of preventive medicine and psychiatry and behavioral medicine, who administrates the COM international programs. “The outreach programs serve a dual purpose: they benefit patients living in communities that lack sufficient health care and provide our students with hands-on medical training. Also, the experience provides students an opportunity to learn about other cultures.”

In addition to volunteering their vacation time, participating students pay up to $2,000 for their travel expenses. The COM international medical outreach programs will continue this spring with a trip to Ecuador and a summer trip to Jamaica.

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About NSU’s College of Osteopathic Medicine:  For students pursuing their education at Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine (NSU-COM), the matriculation experience has proven to be both challenging and rewarding. By combining the most contemporary teaching modalities with the newest technology, our students are assured of obtaining the most comprehensive education possible. Thanks to the synergistic energy of our students, faculty members, and staff members of all of our programs, the pursuit of excellence has become a daily reality at NSU-COM.

About Nova Southeastern University: Located in Davie, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic fully accredited Florida University dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs of distinction from preschool through the professional and doctoral levels. NSU has more than 29,000 students and is the seventh largest not-for-profit independent institution nationally. The University awards associate’s, bachelor’s degrees, master’s degrees, specialist, and first-professional degrees in a wide range of fields, including business, counseling, computer and information sciences, education, medicine, optometry, pharmacy, dentistry, various health professions, law, marine sciences, early childhood, psychology and other social sciences.  Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU was also awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification in 2010 for the University’s significant commitment to and demonstration of community engagement.   For more information about Nova visit www.nova.edu.

Media Contact:
Ken Ma, NSU Office of Public Affairs
954-262-5408 (office), 954-621-7961 (cell), ken.ma@nova.edu