One of the best kept secrets in Caribbean Medical Schools | Trinity School of Medicine | Trinity students

Mid-summer is Carnival season in St. Vincent & the Grenadines, and at this time of year, the streets are packed with visitors and locals enjoying the cultural experience that is "Vincymas." Against this backdrop, Trinity's American Medical Students Association (AMSA) chapter held a series of clinics in the Vincentian capital city of Kingstown. The clinics provided health checks and continued the ongoing national project of addressing the two primary chronic health concerns in St. Vincent: hypertension and diabetes. Read on for student insights, local comments, and a gallery of our students in action in this vibrant time!

Earlier this month, the Trinity student group Kid Companions had their most recent visit the Bread of Life Orphanage and the St. Benedict Children's Home to hold the tri-annual carnival for the residents of both facilities. 

The Bread of Life Orphanage is a home for Vincentian orphans with HIV and AIDS. The St. Benedict Children's Home serves local orphans with a wide array of special needs. Kid Companions strives to bring additional light and consistency into the residents' lives, through both adaptive play at regular carnivals and through material donations, as well as labor at the sites themselves. This particular carnival represented the culmination of several ongoing projects to upgrade the games and prizes for the events, as well as some extra donation efforts. Read on for the full story and for a short gallery of the day's fun.

Trinity's Society of Medicine and Surgery  (SMS) a has donated a sum of money to the World Pediatric Project (WPP) late last week. Trinity student and SMS president David Hobby presented the check to  Lauren McIntosh, executive director for the Eastern Caribbean of the World Pediatric Project at the Trinity campus in the presence of Dean Adkison and other members of the SMS leadership team.  President Hobby explained the purpose and inspiration of the donation. “Over the past few weeks, we have been wanting to give back to the WPP,” he said, “With the close relationship between Trinity and the WPP, we get to assist them on their mission trips and engage in other learning activities when they’re here. The WPP does a great number of surgeries on pediatric cases throughout the region and they are extremely effective in changing lives for many people.  It made sense to give back to the organization that is giving us a lot of advanced access and experience while also supporting the local population.” 

Trinity School of Medicine has always prided itself on the strength and ambition of its students. So many future physicians come our way looking for something new; whether that's a unique learning environment built on support and a strong relationship with the faculty, a curriculum with an emphasis on clinical skills and service to patients, or just a true opportunity to live up to their potential. 

In this latest edition of our alumni spotlight, meet Dr. Jennifer Young. Read about attending Trinity, the opportunities and perspectives she gained from her time there, and what brought her from Hamilton, Ontario to Ohio's Cleveland Clinic as an interventional radiologist fellow.

On June 2nd, Trinity School of Medicine held its 2018 commencement ceremony at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, Georgia. The class, along with nearly 400 of their friends and family, were enthusiastically welcomed to the occasion by Trinity administrative and academic leadership and a variety of VIPs. The day included a key note address from Dr. Brian Clare, esteemed physician, successful entrepreneur, and proud parent of Trinity alum Dr. Drew Clare. 2018 is Trinity's 10th year of operation and tremendous growth, but the family environment and the sincerity with which the students were embraced by faculty and the administration has not diminished in the slightest. In fact, it only seems to grow.

Trinity School of Medicine has always prided itself on the strength and ambition of its students. So many future physicians come our way looking for something new; whether that's a unique learning environment built on support and a strong relationship with the faculty, a curriculum with an emphasis on clinical skills and service to patients, or just a true opportunity to live up to their potential. 

 
Last week, Trinity School of Medicine held the white coat ceremony for its May 2018 students at the school's campus in St. Vincent & the Grenadines.

The white coat ceremony, a tradition started at the University of Chicago 30 years ago that has since spread across the United States and Canada, is an induction into medical professional schools. As it effectively celebrates admission into medical school and it book-ends the experience with a student's eventual graduation, the white coat ceremony is an exciting day for all involved. Guests to the day's event included Sir Frederick Ballantyne, Governor General of St. Vincent; Hon. Luke Browne, Minister of Health, Wellness and the Environment; members of the Trinity board of directors, faculty, and staff, as well as families and friends of the incoming class. Read on to see photos, hear about speakers, and learn what you can expect at your own white coat ceremony.

Last week, Trinity School of Medicine held its fifth term ceremony for its students leaving St. Vincent for their clerkships in Baltimore, MD. While the event is overseen by the school, it is very much a student-driven ceremony, including student speakers, student-bestowed awards, and highlights of individual and group accomplishments during basic sciences. The students were bid farewell in the presence of faculty, staff, colleagues and friends that had all become family during their five terms together on campus.

Last month, Vincentian organization Islandwide Fitness asked the Trinity chapter of the American Medical Students Association (AMSA) to support The Glow Run, a local 10k running event with thousands of participants. Islandwide Fitness has a state goal of addressing two chronic health issues that trouble the island of St. Vincent, hypertension and diabetes. So in addition to promoting physical fitness itself, they had Trinity students on scene to perform blood glucose and blood pressure checks. 

Last week, Trinity Kid Companions used some of their free time to head out to surprise the residents of the St. Benedict Children's Home and neighboring Bread of Life Orphanage with an Easter egg hunt.