Nov. 6, 2023 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – A doctor and two medical students will share insights about caring for people without housing during a free lecture co-sponsored by Grand Rapids Community College, Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and Grand Valley State University.
Dr. Beth Makowski, medical director for MSU Grand Rapids Street Medicine, and MSU medical students Victoria Moaddel and Christa Schafer will present “Street Medicine: Caring for the Unsheltered” at 7 p.m. Nov. 16 in room 102 of GVSU’s DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health, 333 Michigan St. NE.
The discussion, part of the MSU College of Medicine’s “Your Health” lecture series, will be accessible in person or virtually. You can register online for both options.
“Community members experiencing homelessness can have more need for access to health care yet can face greater barriers to getting that care,” Makowski said. “The work done by Grand Rapids Street Medicine and other outreach organizations helps bridge that gap by bringing care directly to where those patients spend their time.”
Brandon Moskun, an academic advisor in GVSU’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences who works with premedical students, said this is an important opportunity for aspiring physicians as well as the entire community to better understand individuals who are unsheltered.
“Medicine is a service profession, and we are always encouraging our students to get involved in their communities,” Moskun said. “This lecture topic is a great way for students and community members to see the intersection of medicine and service and how it can impact all of us.”
Tim Periard, assistant professor in GRCC’s Biology Department, believes the topic is timely.
“Our students pursuing careers in health care will be interested in Dr. Makowski’s insights,” he said. “But I think students in our Criminal Justice, Social Work and Psychology programs – and anyone who feels strongly about social justice – will learn a lot from this presentation as well.”
The entire “Your Health” schedule is available online.
