Phi Chi International Medical Fraternity Chapter Launches on St. Vincent Campus

This has been a very eventful semester for the student organizations on both of our medical campuses. One new association that has been developed in St. Vincent and the Grenadines is the new Saint James chapter of Phi Chi International Medical Fraternity. This was the inaugural semester for the Phi Chi-Alpha Tau chapter, and the organization has grown to more than 30 members. Phi Chi was involved with organizing the World Pediatric Project in February as they shadowed specialists in speech pathology for pediatric patients. Students had the opportunity observe elite and experienced physicians in the field, undertake chronicling patient history and interact with patients first-hand. The students also gave presentations to patients in the clinic to provide them with an introduction to speech pathology, language and pediatric developmental milestones outlined by the World Health Organization. Moreover, they covered intellectual disorders such as autism, as well as congenital abnormalities such as cleft lip and cleft palate. These presentations were well received by the patients and physicians on-site and the students were commended for their involvement. Phi Chi has also had involvement with efforts regarding kidney dialysis and renal diseases. They volunteered with local organizations and physicians on World Kidney Day on March 10, and will continue these efforts in succeeding semesters. The chapter has also fostered a culture of bonding with its members as students took a weekend after block exams to enjoy an evening at the local movie theatre, and also came together to enjoy the Super Bowl alongside members of G.I.V.E. (awesome way to de-stress after blocks!).