Colin Tang-Whitmore started volunteering with the Mobile Health Initiative (MHI) during his first year of medical school to find ways to connect with others.
“I had worked as a medical assistant in a community clinic before medical school and missed the direct patient interaction,” he said.
Now in his third year of medical school, Tang-Whitmore says mobile health provides an approachable and simple entry point to the health care system. He also appreciates MHI's emphasis on community partnerships and sustainable involvement.
“Volunteering through MHI has given me the opportunity to meet people from the many vibrant communities of the Twin Cities and broader Minnesota, improved my ability to engage with patients, and offered space to wrestle with how we can evolve health care delivery to meet the needs of the present day,” he said.
In addition to volunteering with MHI, Tang-Whitmore has served as vice president and was a founding member of the Mobile Health Student Interest Group.
Earlier this year, Tang-Whitmore presented on MHI’s vision program—including his experience and challenges in managing the logistics of the program—at the Midwest Stream Forum for Agricultural Worker Health. The annual conference brings together health care providers, community health workers, front line staff and others from across the country to share promising practices and collaborate in order to better serve agricultural workers.
“The conference was an incredible gathering of dedicated advocates from across the United States,” he said. “I left both humbled and inspired by the work being done to support the health and wellbeing of the folks who put the food on our tables every day.”
Tang-Whitmore says he will incorporate his experiences with MHI into his future practice and plans to continue working in mobile health after medical school.
“Ultimately, I feel that this experience has given me the tools to be the clinician I've always wanted to be,” he said.
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