Remote Area Medical is an organization with numerous university chapters nationwide, including one recently started at ETSU. RAM works to provide quality medical, dental and vision care to those in rural areas free of charge.
“There was a RAM chapter beforehand and it kind of died down, but we got it up and going again last spring,” said Dani El Minaoui, president of ETSU’s RAM chapter. “Our goal right now is to essentially spread the message that we do have a RAM chapter here, and we would love as much help as we can get. The people that are going on these trips are the ones that really do want to help. And we’re here to spread the message that we’re going to help you reach your goals of wanting to help people.”
RAM assigns its campus chapters to clinics in or near their area. The student volunteers attend a weekend-long trip where they gain valuable experience in their various health care-related fields, as well as have an opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives.
“I think a large portion of working in a health care setting is understanding your patient’s circumstances and how they are in the situation that they are in,” Sophie Greear, vice president of the RAM chapter, said. “RAM is an amazing way to gain perspective and exposure to the humanity aspect of interacting with patients.”
This semester, ETSU’s chapter will be going on a volunteer trip to a clinic in Eidson, Tennessee, near the end of October. The RAM chapter has plans to continue growing and hopes to attend a greater number of clinics in future semesters.
“I felt like I had to at least start something to eventually help people down the line. At first, it seems like a big task, but once you get your feet into the sand, it does feel like you can actually truly help rather than just being an idea. I feel like there’s a lot of potential for the future, and starting at one clinic this semester is a great starting point, and it’s essentially only up from here,” El Minaoui said.
ETSU’s RAM chapter has meetings on the first Friday of each month. This semester, the focus will be on educating people about RAM’s mission and how it can support them on their journey as future health care professionals. The chapter is also looking into hosting guest speakers who have been involved with RAM and having days focused on learning health care-related skills, such as how to take vitals.
“Within every community and just with people in general, there’s always a cycle of fixing, treating the symptoms instead of treating the cause because of the systemic issues that are happening,” Greear said. “We feel like RAM is a way that people can receive holistic, encompassing health care in a way that is affordable. And I think that is the most beautiful thing about this and why we are so passionate and so determined to bring this to campus so other people can see it and experience it and know that they were a part of making a difference in people’s lives.”
Those interested in attending their meetings are encouraged to join the GroupMe or can follow the club’s Instagram @etsu_ram for specific meeting times and locations.
