N.C. A&T is home to over 150 clubs and organizations, of these 150 clubs and organizations, it houses the largest HBCU chapter of an organization known as Global Medical Brigades or GMB.
Global Medical Brigades (GMB) is an on-campus organization focused on the growth and success of pre-medical students or anyone with an interest in healthcare.
Members of this organization have the opportunity to participate in a ‘brigade’ during the summer where they travel to underserved communities abroad and provide them with free healthcare services.
GMB partners with numerous countries to provide these service programs. In previous years students have visited places like Ghana, Belize, Honduras, Guatemala, Panama and Greece.
The countries that GMB travels to have varying differences in what they lack in healthcare, depending on these needs, there are stations set up that directly bridge these gaps. The stations are dentistry,consultation, pharmacy ,triage, rapid testing, and charla (health and hygiene).
Global Medical Brigades is an organization open to all students. Although the organization has a focus on those interested in careers within the healthcare field, anyone with a passion for helping others is encouraged to join.
Morgan Johnson, a Senior Double Major in Kinesiology and Biology, and vice president of Global Medical Brigades shares why she joined GMB her freshman year, and her experiences since then.
“When I got into it, I wanted to find people who were also interested in serving underserved communities and I feel like that has met my expectations and surpassed that, I’ve got the opportunity to serve underserved communities not only abroad but also in the local community.” Johnson said.
The brigades that occur every year are application based. Those interested in partaking in the brigade are asked to fill out a google form which evaluates their passion and ability to be culturally sensitive when needed.
Janiya Harris, a senior Kinesiology major and president of Global Medical Brigades, has been a member of this organization since her freshman year at A&T in 2022. Joining organizations as a freshman means not knowing what to expect within organizations for many individuals, this was especially the case for Harris.
“I spoke to E-board members at the org fair and was interested in it. I didn’t expect GMB to be as hands on as it is, I expected more shadowing, but going on my first brigade to Honduras, I performed my first pap smear with the gynecologist there.” she remarks.
Traveling abroad is one of the few experiences that allows individuals to grow and it opens their eyes to the realities of different cultures.
“Seeing healthcare from a global perspective really makes you appreciate all that we have in the United States.” she said. “The fact that we are able to get to hospitals so quickly, is truly a blessing. The people we work with say they haven’t been to doctors and dentists in a long time and they wait until they hear we are coming to get all of these services done.” said Johnson.
Johnson and Harris, having been members of the organization throughout the entirety of their college journeys both have various experiences which remain prevalent in their hearts.
“When we went to Belize, we were getting on the bus, all the kids at the schoolhouse were running and waving. It felt like a clip from a movie..They were all sad to see us go, we were crying, they were crying. It really showed how much of a difference we made in those four days we were able to give them that service.” said Johnson.
In addition to heartfelt moments experienced, comes the reality of volunteering in other countries. Harris reminisces on her first brigade experience.
“Going back to the pap smear on my first brigade, that experience solidified my interest in gynecology and hearing the women talk about their experiences with having to deal with yeast infections, and also how far people come just to come to our clinics, people walking 2-3 hours.” said Harris.
Within their roles, respectively, both Harris and Johnson feel as though they have grown both personally and professionally.
“I would recommend GMB to anyone interested in the field of healthcare, even if you are not sure what specialty you’d like to go into,” said Harris. “That’s what our program is for, to see where you want to go. You get hands on experience in various fields when abroad”.
To get involved with GMB, students can follow their Instagram page, here. Students can also participate in volunteer events throughout the year.
