Ten Geisel Students Named NH/VT Schweitzer Fellows

Ten first-year medical students at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth have been selected as 2015-16 New Hampshire/Vermont Schweitzer Fellows by the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, named for the famous physician-humanitarian.

Geisel’s Schweitzer fellows will join the approximately 220 other 2015-16 Schweitzer Fellows across the nation in developing and implementing service projects that address the root causes of health disparities in under-resourced communities, while at the same time fulfilling their academic responsibilities as full-time students. Each project is implemented in collaboration with a community-based organization.

"It's always heartening to see our students continuing Geisel's tradition of community service," said Duane Compton, Interim Dean of the Geisel School of Medicine. "I'm impressed by the dedication of our students to improve on existing successful programs and to create innovative new programs aimed at reducing health disparities in our community."

This year’s Schweitzer Fellows from the Geisel School of Medicine are:

Nayrana Carneiro, Alexander Soto-Edwards
Nayrana and Alexander will expand primary care services at the Upper Valley Haven; increasing the population served, implementing electronic health records, and expanding to other shelters. Community Site: Good Neighbor Health Clinic and Upper Valley Haven

Ahra Cho, Claire Hogue
Ahra and Claire will design a targeted health education curriculum for middle school students focused on substance abuse and mental and physical health. They will create the "DartHealth Education Corps (DHEC)” to deliver a series of workshops in partnership with local schools. Community site: Hartford, Lebanon, Claremont and Mascoma Public Schools

Ashley Hamel, Sumitha Raman
Working with Good Beginnings, Ashley and Sumitha will develop education and mentoring services for women of reproductive age, working with them to design individualized reproductive health goals, measure their progress and pursue earning their GEDs. Community Site: Good Beginnings of Claremont, NH 

Marvah Hill Pierre-Louis, John Mascari
John and Marvah will serve the patients of the Good Neighbor Health Clinic by coordinating the implementation of SBIRT (Screening Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment). They will administer patient screenings, conduct motivational interviews, and follow-up on referrals.  Community site: Good Neighbor Health Clinic, White River Junction, VT

Ana Rodriguez-Villa, Brendin Beaulieu-Jones
Working with middle and high school-age youth in the Upper Valley, Ana and Brendin will promote the health and advocacy of the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) community. They will develop a curriculum to better prepare medical students to provide appropriate and supportive care to the LGBTQ community.  Community Site: TBD

Upon completion of their fellowship year, these Geisel students will become Schweitzer Fellows for Life—and join a network of more than 3,000 individuals who are skilled in, and committed to, addressing the health needs of underserved people throughout their careers as professionals. Fellows for Life often report that the Schweitzer Fellowship is integral to sustaining their commitment to serving those in need. Learn more about the Schweitzer Fellowship at www.schweitzerfellowship.org.