Mission
The New Life Volunteer Service, NLVS, is a Chicago-wide organization made up of medical students from each of the Chicago medical schools. The organization runs a free medical clinic on Saturdays in the Rogers Park neighborhood for community members who are either underinsured or uninsured. Each Saturday, medical students of all levels from across the city volunteer at the clinic, taking complete histories and conducting physical exams for patients who present to the clinic. They then present their findings to the attending present that day, who briefly talks to the patient before instructing the students as to which treatments, lab tests, and/or medications the patient should receive. A unique aspect of this clinic is that the charts are completely student-generated. The clinic also hosts various specialists (opthomology, diabetes education, etc.) on certain weekends so that patients can receive the best possible care.
At Rush, we have a board of five M1s-M3s who have various roles within the overall NLVS organization. We help coordinate and schedule clinic volunteers from Rush, act as liaisons between Rush students and the larger NLVS organization, help raise funds for the clinic, recruit doctors to assist at the clinic, promote NLVS events (such as our annual gala fundraiser in the fall), organize twice-yearly education and orientation events open to the entire Rush community, and provide general support to the city-wide NLVS board. NLVS is a great opportunity for medical students of all levels to practice physical diagnosis and interview skills in a very hands-on, independent learning environment. The clinic represents a chance to truly make a difference in a patient's life, while also improving one's own clinical skills and cultural awareness about the health issues specific to Chicago's patient population.
Contact information
President: Raghav Chandra
Patient Services/Health Education Chair: Mukund Gande
Advisor: Suchita Kishore, assistant professor, Rush Medical College