Medical Students Create Safe Space for Care at WorldPride
Aliza Haidar (pictured far l) and one group of the medical students who volunteered over two days at this year’s WorldPride, along with Georgetown faculty member Tobie-Lynn Smith, MD, MPH (pictured far r).
(June 20, 2025) — As part of this year’s WorldPride, held in Washington, D.C., medical students volunteered to not only provide free screenings for festival-goers but also create a safe space for members of the LGBTQ+ community to access medical care.
“As people in medicine, it’s so important to get out and say, ‘We see you, we support you,’” said Aliza Haider (M’28). “There’s distrust in the health care system, especially from a community that doesn’t always feel seen, so if we can donate a weekend and create a safe space for a point of entry into the health care system for people, then that’s so important.”
(from l) Volunteers Mark Yamamoto (M’28) and Presley Simmons (M’28)
Over the two days, students administered over 250 blood glucose and blood pressure screenings, along with 53 HIV point-of-care tests.
“Providing blood pressure and blood glucose screenings are really helpful for people when having access to regular primary care can be difficult,” said Lauren Aslami (M’28). “If people don’t get screened, then there’s a chance of developing chronic diseases that could affect their future health.”
“Our tent was pretty popular,” said Haider. “So popular that we ran out of medical supplies and tried to purchase more from a nearby CVS.”
A mix of 28 preclinical and clinical students volunteered for four-hour shifts over the weekend of June 7 – 8, along with Georgetown faculty members Tobie-Lynn Smith, MD, MPH, associate professor of clinical family medicine, and Eileen Moore, MD, associate professor of medicine and family medicine. Shifts were organized by the HOYA Clinic, a student-run free health clinic providing nonemergent medical services in D.C., along with Hoya Medical Pride Alliance, a student-run LGBTQ+ organization.
More Than Screenings
“We didn’t test every person that dropped by,” said Presley Simmons (M’28). “Some people just wanted to stop and tell us thank you for being at the event, especially since we were one of the few medical groups there.”
The medical students and attending physicians provided follow-up and referral information for patients who received a positive HIV test or if the results of their blood pressure screening or blood glucose test were concerning. One festival attendee who stopped by the tent received medical attention for having a very high blood glucose level, the students recalled.
“It is really important, given the current sociopolitical environment towards LGBTQ+ people, for us to push forward and be present in the community to say that we’re still here, we’re going to keep doing this, and that regardless of who you are or what your sexual identity is, you are a patient who deserves as much health care as anyone else,” said Kaleigh Falimirski (M’28).
The medical students plan to do more events in the LGBTQ+ community, such as Black Pride, and continue to be that safe point of entry for the community in the future.
Heather Wilpone-Welborn
GUMC Communications