Schweitzer "Fellow" Cares For Poor
By Patrice Taddonio
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center staff
In order to fulfill her dream of working with at-risk youth in the U.S. and Nigeria as a physician, Nigeria native Taiwo A. Oshodi knew that going to graduate school was the right move.
But it was still a bittersweet one.
“In order to go back to school,” Oshodi says, “I had to leave my job at the Boston Living Center [BLC] as coordinator of Nutrition Works, a food program specifically designed for low-income individuals living with HIV/AIDS.”
Oshodi feared that in pursuing her master’s in biomedical science at the Tufts University School of Medicine, she’d be too swamped with academic work to maintain her deep commitment to Boston’s HIV-positive population.
But then, she found out about Tufts’ partnership with The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship (ASF), a nonprofit organization that supports 230 graduate students from the nation’s top health and human service schools annually as they partner with community agencies to develop and implement service projects with a direct — and lasting — impact on the health of underserved communities.
Housed at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), ASF “gave me the support to integrate direct interaction with the Boston Living Center’s clientele back into my life,” says Oshodi.
And she did just that, launching a highly successful nutrition education program at the BLC—all on top of her schoolwork and per diem work as an ER tech at BIDMC.
Oshodi’s Schweitzer project consists of a series of hands-on cooking classes specifically tailored to the health needs of Boston’s HIV-positive population, emphasizing everything from nutritional plans that address secondary ailments (like diabetes) to effectively navigating grocery stores.
“The class members’ response has been incredibly fulfilling,” Oshodi says. “Sometimes it’s hard to get BLC members to come out for programs—but we already have a waiting list for the next class cycle, which starts in January.”
Heartened by the reaction to her program, Oshodi—one of 25 Schweitzer Fellows carrying out health service projects in Boston and Worcester—is also working to develop a cookbook that will empower low-income HIV-positive individuals who aren’t able to attend her classes.
And though it’s difficult to juggle her studies, her Schweitzer Fellowship service, and her work as an ER tech, Oshodi has found that that each component of her development as a medical professional strengthens the whole.
“Exams are important—but it’s being out there, working hand in hand with the community you seek to serve, that reminds you why,” she says.
To read more about the work of Schweitzer Fellows in Boston and across the country who are working to address health disparities, visit http://www.schweitzerfellowship.org .
Above content provided by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
For advice about your medical care, consult your doctor.
Posted December 2009
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center staff
In order to fulfill her dream of working with at-risk youth in the U.S. and Nigeria as a physician, Nigeria native Taiwo A. Oshodi knew that going to graduate school was the right move.
But it was still a bittersweet one.
“In order to go back to school,” Oshodi says, “I had to leave my job at the Boston Living Center [BLC] as coordinator of Nutrition Works, a food program specifically designed for low-income individuals living with HIV/AIDS.”
Oshodi feared that in pursuing her master’s in biomedical science at the Tufts University School of Medicine, she’d be too swamped with academic work to maintain her deep commitment to Boston’s HIV-positive population.
But then, she found out about Tufts’ partnership with The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship (ASF), a nonprofit organization that supports 230 graduate students from the nation’s top health and human service schools annually as they partner with community agencies to develop and implement service projects with a direct — and lasting — impact on the health of underserved communities.
Housed at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), ASF “gave me the support to integrate direct interaction with the Boston Living Center’s clientele back into my life,” says Oshodi.
And she did just that, launching a highly successful nutrition education program at the BLC—all on top of her schoolwork and per diem work as an ER tech at BIDMC.
Oshodi’s Schweitzer project consists of a series of hands-on cooking classes specifically tailored to the health needs of Boston’s HIV-positive population, emphasizing everything from nutritional plans that address secondary ailments (like diabetes) to effectively navigating grocery stores.
“The class members’ response has been incredibly fulfilling,” Oshodi says. “Sometimes it’s hard to get BLC members to come out for programs—but we already have a waiting list for the next class cycle, which starts in January.”
Heartened by the reaction to her program, Oshodi—one of 25 Schweitzer Fellows carrying out health service projects in Boston and Worcester—is also working to develop a cookbook that will empower low-income HIV-positive individuals who aren’t able to attend her classes.
And though it’s difficult to juggle her studies, her Schweitzer Fellowship service, and her work as an ER tech, Oshodi has found that that each component of her development as a medical professional strengthens the whole.
“Exams are important—but it’s being out there, working hand in hand with the community you seek to serve, that reminds you why,” she says.
To read more about the work of Schweitzer Fellows in Boston and across the country who are working to address health disparities, visit http://www.schweitzerfellowship.org .
Above content provided by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
For advice about your medical care, consult your doctor.
Posted December 2009
