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 challenges
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 shortage of resources, combined with financial obstacles, can contribute to differences in health outcomes.To improve access to prostate cancer care, 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 4th and 5th 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 broaden participation in STEM.
MUSC’s outreach initiatives, both enterprise-wide and college-specific, highlight the University’s commitment to serving the community. This innovative programming delivers healthcare and educational resources to enhance well-being and access for South Carolinians.
