Day of Service Orients New Students to Community

As part of their orientation, more than 140 first-year medical students joined college faculty at sites across the Capital Region to participate in a Day of Service and Engagement.

Students performed community service such as helping with gardening and maintenance at community vegetable gardens, harvesting produce at the Patroon Creek Farm, which provides fresh, local produce to the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, and organizing the food pantry at the Capital District Latinos Cultural Empowerment and Community Engagement Center.

According to Angela Antonikowski, PhD, associate dean of the Division of Community Outreach and Medical Education, the goal is to teach students about their new community and encourage a lifetime of community service.

“Day of Service is an opportunity for students to engage meaningfully with their new community and to understand how the conditions in which people work, live, and learn play an integral part in their health and well-being,” said Antonikowski. “Our hope is they will continue to advocate for health equities throughout their medical careers.”

The Day of Service was launched in 2010 by a student from Colorado who wanted to learn more about the Albany community. The single-day event kicks off a year of service learning that is part of the students’ medical school curriculum.