By Karen Ru, MD ’29

Karen Ru, MD ’29

One of the most meaningful experiences of my first year of medical school was serving as the steering coordinator for Health Advocacy for Asians and Pacific Islanders (HAAPI) and co-organizing the Spring Into Wellness Health Fair at Penn Asian Senior Services (PASSi) Evergreen Center. HAAPI is one of the many student-run Health Outreach Project (HOP) clinics affiliated with Drexel University College of Medicine, all of which are dedicated to providing free medical services and support to underserved communities throughout the Greater Philadelphia area.

This year’s Spring Into Wellness Health Fair brought together Drexel medical students from HAAPI, the Asian Pacific American Medical Student Association (APAMSA), and HOPtics to serve over 150 participants through vitals screenings, blood glucose testing and vision exams. In addition, members of the Microgreens Project educated participants on the nutritional benefits of microgreens and distributed planting kits so individuals could continue engaging with health habits at home. Seeing so many organizations, students and community members come together with a shared purpose was incredibly rewarding and really highlighted the impact of collaborative, community-centered care.

Participating in this health fair during AAPI Heritage Month made the experience especially meaningful. It served as a reminder of not only the resilience, diversity and strength within the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, but also of the responsibility we carry as future physicians to provide healthcare that is accessible, compassionate and culturally competent. Working closely with elderly members of the Asian community in Philadelphia reinforced how profoundly language barriers can shape healthcare experiences. Something as simple as providing consent forms, education materials and health resources in multiple languages can determine whether a patient feels seen, understood, and empowered in their care. As I volunteered throughout the day, I often found myself imagining how overwhelmed my grandparents would feel to navigate the healthcare system alone in a language they were not fully comfortable with. Thinking about the confusion, fear and isolation that many elderly individuals may experience when faced with medical forms, appointments and conversations they cannot fully understand made this work feel deeply personal to me.

Through the planning process, I gained a deeper appreciation for the amount of coordination and intentionality required to make community health initiatives successful. In fact, what made this experience especially meaningful was seeing how community partnerships can come together with a shared purpose. This experience also felt deeply connected to the work that shaped my passion for community health long before medical school. During my undergraduate years, my leadership role with Duke University School of Medicine’s Root Causes Fresh Produce Program taught me that health begins far beyond the walls of a clinic, and yet many individuals face tremendous barriers to accessing nutritious food, especially in food deserts.

During my gap year in Boston, I volunteered at multiple Remote Area Medical mobile clinics, where I continued to witness how challenges in healthcare accessibility and coverage profoundly affect patient outcomes. Those experiences cultivated my commitment to service and health equity, and the Spring Into Wellness Health Fair reaffirmed that commitment in a profoundly personal way as a first-year medical student.

As I reflect on this experience, I am reminded that medicine is far more than diagnosing and treating disease. It is about listening to patients, understanding their lived experiences, advocating for their needs and meeting communities where they are. I left the Spring Into Wellness Health Fair feeling incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve, inspired by the resilience of the community we worked with, and hopeful for the future of community-centered care.

I am sincerely thankful for Stephen Pagkalinawan, MD, and Annette Gadegbeku, MD, for their mentorship, continuous support and dedication to both student education and underserved communities. I would also like to sincerely thank Ken Yang and PASSi Evergreen Center for welcoming us into their space and allowing us the opportunity to serve the elderly Asian community in such a meaningful way. I am equally grateful to the leadership and members of APAMSA, HOPtics and the Microgreens Project for their collaboration and enthusiasm throughout the event. Most importantly, thank you to the student volunteers who dedicated their Saturday to supporting the health fair and serving our community with compassion and kindness. As I look ahead to another year with HAAPI, I am excited for future collaborations and continued opportunities to advocate for underserved communities and the many mentors, peers and volunteers who make this work possible. I am thankful to be part of a community that continues to embody the spirit of service, especially during AAPI Heritage Month, when celebrating culture, community and health equity feels more important than ever.