A group of medical students that works beyond its curriculum

This group of medical students has a different world view altogether. Mark Harpreet Aulakh, Divamm Esvaran, Disha S Kumar and Chaittra S, final-year medical students from MS Ramaiah Medical College, are the brains behind the Young Adult Awareness Programme (YAAP), which deals with educating the youth about how their lifestyle and habits impact their health.
“We want to reach out to the youth, not only because they are the most vulnerable to picking up bad habits, but also because it is easier to get them back on track than it is with adults,” said the four.

During their first year in college, they analysed the number of students who have taken to unhealthy habits. After going through the out-patient department files at their college, they put together the common diseases prevalent and started matching them with their habits.

The problems that topped the list ranged from smoking, drinking, obesity — all of which could be rectified through a modification in their lifestyle. “Our message to the youth is – too much is too bad. Many of them do not even know the effects their habits have on them. We want them to be aware and be equipped with such information,” said Chaittra.

“The problem in India is that unhealthy habits are easily adopted and multiplied ten-folds. The number of people who have taken to smoking, especially among women, is worrisome,” said Mark, who is from Canada.

The group is targeting the nine to 21 age group. “Since we are targeting our peers, we believe they will be able to relate to us,” said Divamm.

The group intends to cover different colleges in the city, make presentations, and give them a pre- and post-test, to see how effective the programme has been. However, the challenge still lies in convincing the youngsters. “We will aim at our college after we have made a difference outside,” said Disha.