As a second-generation immigrant, Hannah Hwang witnessed firsthand how barriers such as language, culture, and socioeconomic status prevent individuals from accessing the health care they need.
“Before starting medical school, I often asked myself, How can we make healthcare more accessible?” Hwang said.
Hwang found her answer as a first-year medical student while volunteering with the Mobile Health Initiative (MHI).
“At a local church in rural southern Minnesota, I helped unload a bus filled with supplies, check in patients, and provide vision screenings for migrant farmworkers. Seeing the gratitude on their faces as they tried on new glasses showed me how mobile health can deliver essential care to some of the most vulnerable and isolated communities,” she said.
Hwang first learned about the Mobile Health Initiative from an upperclassman who was assisting with a vision clinic alongside a group of medical students. They were volunteering as part of the medical school’s “longitudinal experience,” part of the previous curriculum, in which students partnered with a community organization for a year.
“Seeing the impact of their work, I recognized the value of creating a structured student group that would provide more consistent, long-term support for MHI,” she said.
In the fall of 2023, Hwang founded the Mobile Health Student Interest Group (MHSIG) alongside a small group of medical students and under the advisement of Assistant Professor Shahid Jaffer, MD.
“We established a student volunteer program, recruiting members through promotional events and social media. Since then, our board has expanded to include interprofessional representatives from dental programs and the Duluth campus,” said Hwang. “In addition to coordinating volunteers, our board leads quality improvement and academic projects aimed at enhancing clinic efficiency and deepening our understanding of the communities we serve. These initiatives range from launching a free dermatology clinic to conducting research on vision inequity in Minnesota. Today, we engage over 150 volunteers year-round.”
Through her involvement with MHI, Hwang hopes to gain a deeper understanding of Minnesota’s underserved communities—particularly those she might not have otherwise been familiar with otherwise.
“I want to learn how to effectively reach these populations, understand the specific barriers they face, and develop the skills necessary to serve them as an attending physician in the future,” she said.
Through her experience with MHI, Hwang says she learned invaluable lessons in leadership and community outreach.
“Moving forward, I aim to apply these skills by advocating for health care accessibility and addressing disparities in immigrant and refugee communities across Minnesota. By first understanding their needs, I hope to develop sustainable solutions that bring essential medical care to those who need it most,” Hwang said.
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