Medical Students Partake in Day of Service and Learning

New medical students could be found throughout the community gardening, cleaning, and painting as part of Albany Medical College’s annual Day of Service.

The event following orientation is a tradition that introduces students to the foundational concepts of social determinants of health, and the importance of community-based advocacy.

Students engage directly with local community organizations, food pantries, shelters, and public health initiatives across the Capital Region. According to Angela Antonikowski, PhD, associate dean of the Division of Community Outreach and Medical Education, students begin to understand the lived experiences of populations and the social contexts that shape health outcomes through hands-on service.

“By introducing students to the social determinants of Albany’s health, we help them become physicians who understand that health begins long before a patient enters the clinic—it begins in communities. These activities set the tone for a medical education grounded in empathy, engagement and action.”

The Day of Service was launched in 2010 by a student from Colorado who wanted to learn more about the Albany community. The single-day event kicks off a year of service learning that is part of the students’ medical school curriculum.

The new medical students arrived on campus the week of July 21 and received their first white coats in a ceremony on Friday, July 25.