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NASHVILLE, Tenn. In 2018, nearly 50 Latino leaders from at least 20 local faith groups gathered at the Coleman Park Community Center to gain insight on health needs in their communities. The event – organized by the Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance (MVA) and the Faith and Health Collaborative – was called Breakfast with Religious Leaders, and its goal was to establish what organizers called a “culture of wellness.”

NASHVILLE, Tenn. For Muna Muday, being a doctor isn’t enough. “I want to work domestically and internationally,” she said. “I feel like these two cannot be away from each other.” Her passion is learning how to develop programs that improve public health, and she hopes to someday work with projects on a global scale for organizations like the World Health Organization and other international groups. Specifically, her interests lie with efforts advocating for health among women and children.  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Once again, students from both Meharry Medical College (MMC) and Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) worked together to benefit the community through partnerships with non-profit organizations in the Inter-institutional Interprofessional Education (IPE) Student Project.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Meharry Medical College (MMC) prides itself on being one of the first medical schools to hold a Student Research Day. The annual event dates back to 1956 and was held in connection with Meharry’s 80th anniversary. Dr. Charles W. Johnson founded the program, and Dr. Landry E. Burgess was its first chairman.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. When asked about her goals in the medical field, Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance (MVA) intern Tamee E. Livermont couldn’t help but chuckle. “Gosh, I have a lot of them,” she said. Indeed, when she lists those goals, they become a broad and lengthy checklist of topical action items. If they could be grouped under a single umbrella, it would be increased access to health care, particularly for under-served populations. That umbrella would cover a lot of ground, though.  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. As recently as the 1990s, researchers discovered a dangerous biological syndrome caused by abuse and neglect during childhood. Toxic stress triggered hormones in many children that wrought havoc on their brains and bodies, putting them at greater risk for disease, homelessness, prison and even death.” “The child may not remember, but the body remembers,” one clinician said ominously.  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Aleta Simmons, MD’s path to the medical field was lengthy. “I’ve been in school a long time,” she quipped. All told, she spent nearly two decades in higher education and medical training, traveling to five universities in three states. Each year, save one, was an unending push forward to earn her degree and increase diversity within her chosen field. Her one and only pause was the result of a traffic accident, which sidelined her just before she could complete her last stretch of training.  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. The Student National Medical Association (SNMA), founded in 1964 as a sub-division of the National Medical Association (NMA), strives to address the needs of underserved individuals and communities throughout America. Its goals include serving as a credible source of information, encouraging the development of minority faculty and eradicating health practices that compromise quality education to minorities.


 Photo submitted
 The Meharry-Vanderbilt Student Alliance joined Youth Encouragement Services during the Christmas season to provide gifts, toys and clothes to children and families in need.
 
  


 Photo by Jabári Ichimura