On Sunday Nov. 16, SOMG medical student Thien Nguyen gave a comprehensive presentation on Lifestyle Medicine to the congregation at Greenville Vietnamese Baptist Church and educated attendees about blood pressure reading and management alongside fellow medical students Colleen Phan, Danny Pham, and Ben Meyer. This is the second year Thien has worked with Greenville Vietnamese Baptist Church to bring free health resources, education, and services to the community.
“Our goal was to provide a free clinic staffed by physicians and pharmacists to help educate Vietnamese immigrants about navigating the U.S. healthcare system,” said Thien. “Last year, one of our student volunteers assisted a woman who mentioned feeling tired, having lost some weight, and occasionally experiencing shortness of breath. The student listened carefully and encouraged her to see a doctor. [The woman] did, and she later returned this year to thank the student [because] she had been diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer, caught early thanks to that student’s encouragement. She said she might not have sought care otherwise, assuming her symptoms were just due to aging. This story really shows how impactful medical students can be when they connect with their community—especially when they share the same language and cultural background.”
As an immigrant who came to the U.S. in 2015 with limited English, no health education, and few financial resources, Thien saw firsthand how lack of access to care can lead to health complications and chronic conditions, like pain from a hand injury his mother suffered.
“That experience inspired me to become a resource for my community through education. I plan to continue organizing this event annually with fellow medical students to show our community that we hear their voices and understand their struggles,” said Thien.
This year’s event theme was “Preparing for Aging.” Presenters discussed topics such as power of attorney for healthcare, life insurance, and healthy aging through lifestyle changes. Thien presented on the importance of Lifestyle Medicine, one of the core principles of medical education curriculum at the USC School of Medicine Greenville.
“I worked with Dr. Jennifer Trilk, SOMG’s Director of Lifestyle Medicine Programs, to incorporate Lifestyle Medicine principles from our coursework into my presentation. I wanted to teach attendees about nutrition, exercise, sleep, social connectivity, avoiding risky substances, and stress management – the 6 pillars of Lifestyle Medicine,” said Thien. “Dr. Jennifer Springhart, SOMG’s Director of Community Engagement, and Root Cause sponsored us by providing blood pressure cuffs for community members with high blood pressure readings. Ben Meyer from Root Cause worked closely with me as well to support and photograph this event, and the Vietnamese Greenville Baptist Church and Pastor Luke have also been incredible supportive, offering space and resources for the event.”
Looking ahead, Thien’s next goal is to promote the RAM Free Health Clinic on Feb. 14 – 15, 2026 and organize medical translation volunteers so that more members of the community can participate and receive care.
Learn more about the RAM Free Health Clinic on Feb. 14-15, 2026 »
Learn more about Lifestyle Medicine Education at USC School of Medicine Greenville »