Spreading the wealth: MUSC’s outreach programs provide valuable resources to South Carolinians

Students, as future scientists, are exploring the importance of getting away from the bench and into the wider world. This blog series will focus on science policy and community engagement. Read the first article in the series here. Read the second article in the series here.

When I was in elementary school I lived in Atlanta, GA, near the headquarters for the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). One day, health scientists from the CDC visited my school to educate us about how microbes, such as bacteria and viruses, can cause disease.

But rather than giving us a long lecture on each microbe, they passed out baseball-style trading cards. Each card had the name of a microbe, the disease it caused and how the disease spreads.

Today, 15 years later, I still remember that West Nile virus can cause West Nile fever and is carried by mosquitoes.

The CDC creatively and effectively utilized an outreach program to educate local students about potential public health threats. This type of outreach encompasses the act of extending resources to communities that may not currently have access to those resources, thereby spreading the wealth. 

"MUSC’s outreach initiatives, both enterprise-wide and college-specific, highlight the University’s commitment to serving the community."

-- Amber Hazzard

The Medical University of South Carolina has several outreach programs to educate and engage adults and children in the greater Charleston area. Two of MUSC’s excellent outreach programs include South Carolina Prostate Cancer Screening Program for African American Men (SC AMEN) and South Carolina Public Engagement and Advocacy in Charleston (SC-PEACH).

Lifelong learning to reduce disparities 
South Carolina is comprised of 46 counties and all of them contain medically underserved areas – geographic areas and populations that lack access to primary health care services. This lack of resources, along with economic barriers, can promote health disparities. 

To address disparities in prostate cancer, MUSC Hollings Cancer Center developed SC AMEN with funding from the TD Charitable Foundation.

In South Carolina, African American men are twice as likely to develop prostate cancer and are three times as likely to die from prostate cancer compared to their White counterparts. Marvella Ford, Ph.D., associate director of Population Sciences and Cancer Disparities, strongly believes SC AMEN will improve the livelihood of Black men.

The SC AMEN program aims to reduce prostate cancer disparities among middle-aged Black men through three aims: education, navigation and follow-up assessment.

Firstly, participants receive monthly educational sessions on prostate cancer and the importance of screening. This education step is vital because before the men can take action, they must first recognize there is problem.

Then, the men are navigated to resources that will assist them in overcoming obstacles related to receiving prostate cancer screening. Lastly, the program then provides follow-up assessments to each participant. This helps program staff measure the prostate cancer screening rates among participants.

Results show SC AMEN has been successful in increasing prostate cancer knowledge. Additionally, 80% of the participants are being scheduled for prostate cancer screening or have already received their screening.

Bringing the laboratory into the classroom
On a smaller scale, SC-PEACH is a student-run organization within MUSC’s College of Graduate Studies that provides educational resources to students attending Julian Mitchell Elementary School. 

Mitchell elementary is in downtown Charleston and serves a large population of students from low-income families. As such, the school receives federal funding to provide educational resources and extracurricular activities. To further address this need, MUSC graduate students participating in SC-PEACH teach science learning modules to 4^th and 5^th graders monthly throughout the school year.

These learning modules give the students hands-on experience with various science topics, including the brain, genetics and nutrition. Hannah Tarolli, a PhD candidate at MUSC and leader of SC-PEACH, noted that teaching these lessons is both impactful and personally fulfilling.

“It’s a much more fulfilling experience than just teaching,” she said. “It's exciting to see their eagerness to learn, excitement to participate in activities and sense of accomplishment when they correctly answer questions.”

Exposing students to science and research at an early age, especially via hands-on opportunities, can expand their understanding of career possibilities. This would have been beneficial for Hannah, who did not have these opportunities growing up.

“I did not have hands-on experience with science until late in high school and I was unaware that scientific research was a career until college,” she explained.

Over time, K-12 outreach programs like SC-PEACH can help increase diversity in STEM.

MUSC’s outreach initiatives, both enterprise-wide and college-specific, highlight the University’s commitment to serving the community. This innovative programming provides healthcare and educational resources that reduce disparities and improve the quality of life for South Carolinians.