February 02, 2017

Esther Kwak, a second-year medical student at the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, received the 2016 Volunteer Medical Student of the Year at the CommunityHealth Clinic.

A student from Midwestern University's Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine (CCOM) was honored as the Volunteer Medical Student of the Year at the CommunityHealth Clinic in Chicago. Esther Kwak, a second-year osteopathic medical student, received the award for her service at the clinic during 2016.Founded in 1993, the CommunityHealth Clinic provides a wide range of services including primary, specialty, and dental care, preventive health screenings, vaccinations, diagnostic testing, and related services to low-income patients. As a student volunteer, Ms. Kwak worked alongside attending physicians to manage patients' health and helped connect them to appropriate healthcare resources.

"CommunityHealth is the largest free clinic in the United States and five of the Chicago medical schools sponsor 'student-run-clinic nights' at their facilities. The selection of Esther as the Volunteer Medical Student of the Year is the first time a CCOM student has received this honor. We are very proud of her," said Karen J. Nichols, D.O., M.A., MACOI, CS, Dean, Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine.

In addition to working with patients, Ms. Kwak developed a user guide for a new electronic medical record (EMR) system at the clinic. "I am so grateful to have received this award, and I think that it is merely a testament to all the dedicated CCOM volunteers of the past and presently in our clinic," Ms. Kwak said. "I am well aware of the great impression that CCOM students leave on the staff and the patients, and I am encouraged by the dedication and hard work that students from CCOM bring forth to make sure that our patients are well taken care of. I think it's especially important for us to be involved in our communities because there's always great need around us, and I believe there's so much we can do to fill those needs."