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Refugees who enter the United States are almost all seeking a better opportunity for themselves and their families, but oftentimes don’t know where to turn to get basic needs, food, clothing and health care. That’s where the Refugee Health Initiative student interest group at The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth has stepped up over the last several years to give those refugees assistance, ranging from baby formula, hygiene products and medical care that they badly need.

The students are getting a big boost in their efforts to help this population with a recent grant from a local foundation.

“A lot of refugees, their main purpose for coming here is for a better life,” said Zoya Ahmed, a first-year student at the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine and an RHI first-year representative. “Many of the refugees have seen so much in their lives already, but they have a sense of optimism that might be crushed as soon as they get here because they can’t get basic things.”

The grant, done in collaboration with UNTHSC’s Office of Institutional Advancement, will allow the RHI to purchase bottled water, diapers, formula and much more to help impact sustainable health outcomes and build trust within the community. The clinics are held in local apartment buildings where students and faculty will perform physical exams, conduct follow-up care on patients and provide educational resources for newly arrived refugees to help get them on their feet.

Ahmed recalled one of her favorite moments she has had since volunteering at the clinics.

“It was the first time I had been at the clinic and had a wonderful interaction with a patient,” Ahmed said. “A patient was just sitting there with her kids, not talking to anyone and all by herself waiting on a diagnosis. She wasn’t fluent in English, but we had some similar languages, and I was able to communicate with her. I was able to connect with her on the shared background we had, and she really appreciated that.”

While they continued their conversation, the woman dispatched one of her kids back to her apartment, who came back with something in his hand, which he gave to his mother.

“She gave me a pair of earrings because she said I reminded her so much of her sister and it meant so much to her that I was making the effort to connect with her,” Ahmed said. “It was really a beautiful moment and connected back to why I’m doing medicine.”

While not a refugee herself, Ahmed’s parents immigrated to America and she saw firsthand how hard they had to work. Her father was unable to gain employment except for delivering pizzas, and for some time, that’s all he was able to eat: pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It might not have been glamorous, but his job at Pizza Hut is what put him through college.

“I’m so grateful for what my parents did because it has made me more empathetic,” Ahmed said. “If people hadn’t helped him out along the way, he wouldn’t be where he is today.”

TCOM students use a variety of ways to connect with the diverse refugee populations they see each month, as well as guidance from faculty members. TCOM’s chair of internal medicine and geriatrics, Dr. Asim Kichloo and Dr. Meaghan Nelsen, an associate professor and TCOM’s year 2 curriculum director, helped students address urgent and emergent patients as well as OBGYN case histories with patients at a recent RHI clinic.

“Each semester, I spend a few Saturday mornings serving as the preceptor for all of the TCOM medical students volunteering at the Refugee Health Initiative’s free clinic and each time I serve in this role, I’m continuously impressed by the student’s organization and initiative,” Nelsen said. “They set up and break down the clinic space, they design the check-in process, monitor clinic flow, and even advertise around the apartment complex to recruit patients! They thoughtfully pair first-year students with upperclassmen to facilitate peer-to-peer learning during the patient history, physical exam, and presentation to the attending physician. This is such a rewarding experience for me to watch the students implement and apply TCOM’s curriculum in real-world scenarios.”

The grant will also help provide the opportunity to cover the expense of the electronic medical records system and software, allowing the clinic better access to a patient’s background, history as well as putting new patients’ information into the system.

Ahmed’s passion reflects that of the entire group, giving access to a patient population that otherwise would be forgotten.

“One of my goals as a physician is to work with non-profit organizations and go to different places around the world that work with underserved communities,” Ahmed said. “That brings me a lot of purpose in life. I see the news and see all the people facing circumstances that aren’t their fault. If I have the chance to help, I should give back. When I see these things, I look at myself and ask what can I do?”

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