This morning I went with one of the attendings and one of the residents to Homeboy Industries for what they call “Baby Talk.” It’s a once-a-month small group meeting where parents can come ask the pediatricians questions about childcare and parenting (first of all if you haven’t heard about Homeboy definitely check out the link above, they do amazing work). It was a pretty good turn out and there was a lot of good conversation about potty training, “corrective behavior,” diet, etc. The group was filled with lovely people and it was a lot of fun.
Afterwards we went to a Homeboy-associated teen/ young adult center where we were supposed to just be around to have 1-on-1 conversations with the youths regarding pretty much anything. We only had one biter, but she had a lot of great questions regarding the effects of mood on health. I was super impressed with there insight and vulnerability.
The rest of the day was all just clinic, which was pretty standard, but I definitely felt a bit charged up from the morning. I think medical school and graduate medical education in general needs to incorporate more community outreach into the base curriculum. Not only is it educational for student and can have positive impacts on the community, but it’s also a wellness exercise. For me having the sense of connection to my community is super motivating.
nANIMOv 