On October 20^th, 2024, the Faculty of Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) in collaboration with the Asian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA) Macau, organized a community outreach event at Asilo de Felicidade, providing simple health assessments for elderly residents. Thirteen medical students, ranging from Year 1 to Year 5, participated in the event under the supervision of Assistant Dean, Associate Professor Daniel Baptista-Hon and Associate Professor Aby Charles from the Faculty of Medicine.

▲Faculty of Medicine teachers and medical students interacted with residents and performed simple health checks

The students conducted general examinations, including sclera and conjunctiva checks, pulse assessments and lymph node palpations. Additionally, they performed auscultations of heart and breathing sounds, along with neuromuscular assessments for reflexes and muscle tone. Around 30 elderly residents, half of whom are wheelchair users, benefited from the health check-ups and interactions with students.

▲Group photo after the visit

Assistant Dean, Associate Prof. Baptista-Hon remarked that it is inspiring to see Faculty of Medicine students actively engaging with the community and applying their skills they learned in MUST. The experience fosters both their professional development and their sense of social responsibility. Student-initiated events like these also highlight the Faculty of Medicine’s commitment to community engagement and the importance of student involvement in providing care for vulnerable populations.

Faculty of Medicine Year 3 Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) student and the Regional Chairperson of AMSA Macau, Ng Chi Tong expressed a heartfelt gratitude to Care Action Macao for initiating the event, which provides students with the opportunity to hone their clinical skills through social practice.  Faculty of Medicine students look forward to holding similar outreach activities in the future to further enhance the connection between medical students and society.

AMSA is a representative organization for medical students across Asia, the Asia-Pacific, and beyond. AMSA focused on knowledge, action, and friendship. AMSA Macau is a non-profit and student-led organization affiliated with AMSA, established by medical students from the Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) program at the Faculty of Medicine, MUST in 2020. AMSA members have actively participated in international conferences and exchange programmes, while also dedicating themselves to community service. The goals of AMSA are to unify medical students in Macau and to facilitate both local and international exchanges in medical education. Moreover, AMSA provides a robust platform for medical students to cultivate their skills and knowledge and evolve into the healthcare leaders of tomorrow.