CAHRE NEWS

Strasbourg 2007

UF’s Pre-Med AMSA Arts in Medicine committee raised funds for the AIM for Africa program in Nairobi, Kenya and the to Strasbourg, France. The group, comprised of 80 undergraduate health science majors, sent seven selected members to Strasbourg from May 27 through June 8, 2007 through CAHRE’s International Student Exchange program.

Through partnership with Marc Bloch University, the students worked as volunteer artists in the University Hospital of Strasbourg’s Arts in Medicine program during their two-week stay. They were accompanied by CAHRE Director, Jill Sonke-Henderson.

AIM committee directors, Sasha Strull, Amilyn Belarmino , and Dharmini Shah, did an exceptional job of organizing the trip. They organized two successful fundraising events, a two-day sidewalk chalk mural event at the UF & Shands Health Science Center and a Charity Variety Show, also at the Health Science Center. Funds raised from these events will help support the new Arts in Medicine program at the Mater Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, which was implemented through the AIM for Africa program. In addition to monetary support, art supplies donated at the Charity Show were delivered to the Mater hospital in June.

Shortly after our students returned from Strasbourg, they reciprocated the exchange by hosting students from Strasbourg here at UF. During their three-week stay, they volunteered as artists with the Shands Arts in Medicine program and attended CAHRE’s Arts in Healthcare Summer Intensive training program.

For more information about CAHRE’s International Student Exchange program, contact Jill Sonke-Henderson at jsonke@ufl.edu