Medical Student Community Service

Medical students at Albert Einstein College of Medicine understand the importance and value of giving back to the community. Through community service, outreach projects and providing care and support for patients and their loved ones in clinical settings, they make a difference in the lives of many individuals. Community members and medical students mutually benefit from these opportunities to learn and serve others.

Medical students performing community service.

Community Service Events

Our medical students participate in the following types of cancer-focused events:

Bronx Oncology Living Daily (BOLD) Program Interns

In addition to cancer survivors and family volunteers, 20 pre-med BOLD interns from diverse cultural backgrounds representing the Bronx participate in all aspects of BOLD activities. Most of these students are also financially disadvantaged, second-generation Americans.

BOLD student interns gain first-hand experience by contributing to cancer outreach strategies such as our Multicultural Task Forces and cancer patient-facing programs. Students have opportunities to conduct behavioral research related to their BOLD experience and to participate in a poster session to present their findings.

Applying for a BOLD Internship

To attract and support students, Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center has cultivated active relationships with local universities, including Hunter, Fordham and Columbia, which each host a BOLD student interest club. Students apply for the BOLD internship through their schools.

Pandemic Support by BOLD Student Volunteers

Through the BOLD program, cancer patients and family members continued to have access to free psychosocial services and peer support throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which included:

  • Counseling
  • Creative arts
  • Fitness and nutrition
  • Peer support programs for patients and their children
  • Smoking cessation
  • Support groups
  • Yoga and meditation

Although the COVID-19 pandemic was an extremely challenging period, BOLD was still able to provide support by transitioning all of the programs to an online format. Before COVID-19, most BOLD participants did not routinely go online or participate in Zoom calls, but with technical assistance provided by the BOLD pre-med student interns, our online transition was seamless.

Medical Students

Oncology Interest Group (OIG)

The Oncology Interest Group (OIG) allows students to interact with and learn from physicians in various fields of oncology. The mission is to provide various opportunities for medical students interested in cancer by:

  • Connecting students with ongoing clinical research projects
  • Engaging students interested in oncology through a variety of panels, talks and activities
  • Instructing students about the ethics surrounding oncology and end-of-life care
  • Providing shadowing and mentorship opportunities to students

American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Partnership

OIG falls under the umbrella of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), which offers OIG members networking opportunities to attend their conference and meet with physicians specializing in a variety of cancers. Through the OIG, medical students explore the fields of medical, surgical, and radiation oncology and learn about shadowing opportunities with Montefiore oncologists.