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5871 University Avenue, Suite #334
San Diego, CA 92115
Ph: 619-582-2360; Fax: 619-582-2297;
E-mail: btran.aphc@sbcglobal.net

Vietnamese Festival Health Fair, Feb. 10-11, 2007

The UCSD Medical and Pharmacy Students collaborated for the first time on a Health Fair for the community one week before the Lunar New Year of the Boar (2007). The event was held in conjunction with the Festival organized by the Vietnamese American Youth Alliance on February 10 and 11, 2007 in the huge parking lot of Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.

Located at a corner on a thorough fare, the health information booth decorated with banners saying Suc Khoe la Vang – Good Health is priceless, and UCSD Medical and Pharmacy Students Free Health Services drew many visitors. Posters were prepared beforehand on Hypertension and Hepatitis B, whereas pamphlets on Diabetes and Heartburn were available from diverse organizations. On Saturday, Tuan Nguyen and a large group of 1st year Pharmacy students were present from 10 AM to 4:00 PM to help patients with their health questions and promote awareness of common diseases. Brochures were distributed to the patients as they stopped by the booth.

On Sunday, medical students Tuan Mai, Sang Le, and Richard Tran manned the booth along with pharmacy students Jennifer Lai, Lannie Duong and Son Nguyen. Patients were recruited actively as they strolled down the alleys. Counseling was facilitated by Dr Ellen Beck in the morning, and Drs Ton and Binh Tran in the afternoon. The patients asked questions from insomnia, pain of extremities and carpal tunal syndrome to hepatitis B and cervical cancer. A group of nuns from the Loc Uyen monastery in Escondido and a financial representative came by. Misconceptions on anemia and hypertension were dispelled: the patient thought that because the blood count is low, she cannot have hypertension. In the morning, questions revolved around headache, insomnia, anemia and gastro intestinal reflux.

Overall, it was an enriching experience for the medical and pharmacy students. It was nice to see the collaboration between the UCSD Schools of Medicine and Pharmacy in the teaching and learning of health fair activities. Patients were appreciative of the free services rendered. The adjoining booth also from UCSD displayed information on the Susan G. Komen early Breast and Cervical cancer detection, highlighting an aspect of preventive medicine that the Asian Pacific Health Center is currently working on.

The health fair was ended at 2:00 PM as the sun shone brightly after a light rain all morning. Brochures and pamphlets remaining will be kept for subsequent health fairs, such as the Hepatitis B screening event organized by the medical students during April 2007. (Michael Lam and Gordon Ho are members of this group).





Binh N. Tran, Pharm.D.
Asian Pacific Health Center
5871 University Ave, Ste 334
San Diego, CA 92115
Ph: 619-582-2360
Fax: 619-582-2297
www.aphcenter.org