Q: Dr. Humphrey, what are your tasks and responsibilities as assistant dean of community engagement at AUC?
A: As the assistant dean of community engagement, my goal is to foster meaningful partnerships between AUC students and local organizations in Sint Maarten. These partnerships result in service-learning initiatives that promote health and well-being within the community. Our students actively participate in developing and implementing health promotion initiatives, health screenings, and health education programs.
Additionally, we are proud to support environmental sustainability initiatives in Sint Maarten. I personally mentor students to help them align their experiences with their values and long-term professional goals. Witnessing students learn about the determinants of health through community engagement initiatives is truly fulfilling. My aim is to contribute to the development of our students’ professional identities and broaden their perspectives with every community encounter.
Q: How and when did you first become involved with AUC?
A: I joined AUC as an assistant professor of clinical and behavioral medicine in 2019. I initially focused on teaching behavioral sciences as a crucial part of AUC’s curriculum. It was a rewarding experience working with students from various cultural backgrounds and collaborating on local community projects to gain a global perspective on determinants of health.
Q: What courses do you teach? Do you enjoy being an instructor?
A: I am proud to focus my teaching on AUC’s IMPACTS curriculum, which stands for Integrated Medicine, Public Health, Advocacy, Care, and Trust in Systems of Health. The AUC IMPACTS curriculum focuses on social determinants of health, diversity, health equity and inclusion, community engagement, physician wellness, ethical decision-making, and effective communication. We discuss topics regarding poverty, cultural and biopsychosocial perspectives, family dynamics, cultural competence, health literacy, changing health behaviors, and the impact of stress on health. The IMPACTS curriculum also emphasizes the importance of effective communication within interprofessional teams.
Q: What community engagement opportunities exist in Sint Maarten for AUC student volunteers? How do students benefit from such opportunities?
A: Community engagement at AUC involves collaboration with the local communities to address shared health concerns and promote positive change. For AUC medical students, service learning offers a valuable opportunity to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world healthcare challenges. Students can gain firsthand insights into the social determinants of health that contribute to health disparities in a small developing island. Students further develop cultural humility during exposure to island communities.
Community engagement projects also allow students to practice communication, teamwork, and leadership skills. The program offers opportunities to provide capacity building, lead community-based research projects, or create new traditions to support the health and well-being of a diverse community. Below are a few examples of community engagement activities at AUC:
- Community Action Day
- Project H.E.L.P. (health, education, literacy, and prevention) Health Screenings
- Breast Abnormalities Screenings
- Prostate Cancer Screenings
- Pediatric Dental Screenings
- Health Education Events
- Environmental Sustainability Initiatives
- Disaster Preparedness Workshops
- Health Promotion Program Development
- Community-Based Participatory Research
- Fundraising for Community-Based Organizations (CBOs)
- School-Based Promotion of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) Careers
Q: You’ve worked in Trinidad and Tobago, Sint Maarten, and other Caribbean nations. Does the region have a special attraction for you — other than the obvious tropical beauty?
A: I have lived in the Caribbean with my family for over 10 years. Providing mental health care in Trinidad and Tobago was a unique challenge which increased my understanding of how health system challenges and community factors impact our health outcomes. Currently, living in Sint Maarten offers unique wellness and work-life balance opportunities, such as exercising outdoors year-round and accessing a variety of local produce. My family and I enjoy Sint Maarten’s vibrant culture and small-town feel.
Q: What unique value or opportunity does studying in Sint Maarten offer?
A: Sint Maarten is unique in its diversity.The diversity of people living in Sint Maarten allows our students to serve a variety of communities and to learn about health from a global perspective.
Q: What originally drew you to psychology? How does it differ from psychiatry — aside from the educational paths?
A: I chose clinical psychology because this career field offers a variety of ways to support the health and well-being among vulnerable people. I was initially trained as a clinical child psychologist, with a focus on psychological interventions, assessment, and research regarding childhood mental health conditions. During an internship at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Newark, I developed a passion for working with families affected by trauma and poverty. I began to notice a link between the stories that families told about their trauma, poverty, and factors that led to them experiencing chronic medical conditions. This experience led me to believe that many people living with mental illness may not seek traditional mental health care, but will experience other health concerns that will bring them to traditional medical settings for care. A focus on pediatric and health psychology allowed me to be embedded in interdisciplinary teams that treat these vulnerable patients, thus giving me the opportunity to provide access to mental health care. I then completed a fellowship at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, which focused on the psychological needs of children with cancer and sickle cell disorder. This led to an early career at an urban hospital in New York, where I served as a member of an interdisciplinary team that supported children and adults living with HIV for most of my early career.
Q: How do such treatments as cognitive behavioral and acceptance and commitment therapies help people cope with chronic medical, emotional, and behavioral concerns?
A: Psychologists on interprofessional teams support patients by providing consultation to physicians about ways to improve patient care. We also provide psychological support, behavioral intervention, assessment, education, and help with the development of coping strategies. Cognitive behavioral approaches help patients reframe negative thoughts and develop a more positive perspective about their challenges. This approach can be helpful for treatment of a variety of psychiatric conditions such as depression and anxiety. Cognitive behavioral approaches can also help patients cope with challenging medical diagnoses and support adherence to care.
Q: How do you define treatment adherence and how can doctors and medical settings support it?
A: Treatment adherence is a collaborative agreement between a medical provider and patient regarding a treatment plan. This may include taking medications as prescribed, following lifestyle recommendations, or attending appointments. Doctors can support treatment adherence by finding out how their patients understand their health. Doctors can also ask patients about the conditions in which their patients are born, grow, live, and work. If a doctor is concerned about treatment adherence, they can provide education, counseling, simplify treatment regimens, or introduce reminders to support the patient. A doctor can also provide a social prescription that can help an interdisciplinary team address the determinants of health that are affecting the patient’s capacity to adhere to the treatment plan.
Q: Now, what is capacity building, how is it achieved, and how does it promote public health?
A: Capacity building involves several activities that strengthen the skills, effectiveness, and resources of an organization. When a community has strong healthcare organizations, the result can be the improvement in the health of the population living in a community. Capacity building is achieved by providing training, education, enhancing community partnerships, and policy development. This might also involve the development of evaluation systems to ensure sustained improvement over time.
Q: You’ve worked a lot with mothers and children with HIV/AIDS. What have you learned from the experience?
A: Working with people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) was tremendously rewarding because of the lessons that healthcare providers have learned from affected families during the last 40 years. HIV care has shaped the way our healthcare system approaches the prevention and treatment of many chronic illnesses. Very early in the epidemic, HIV providers collaborated with interdisciplinary teams and medical homes that worked together to address the variety of factors that impact health outcomes. I am honored to have witnessed firsthand what happens to a family when their healthcare community takes into account the social determinants of health, mental health challenges, and public health policy. Patients can make progress and help prevent chronic illness among their family members.
The other rewarding aspect of working with PLWHA is that patients play an active role in shaping the care they receive, participating in the early detection and retention of care for their communities. PLWHA are on the frontline of fighting HIV. This experience taught me that a partnership with your patients is a wonderful way to address public health challenges. I hope to support the development of those values among AUC students.
Q: What do you do as an advisor for the Asian and Black medical student associations at AUC?
A: The Asian and Black medical student associations have been a great source of peer support to students on campus. As an advisor, I provide mentorship to the executive board members of student groups to support the development of leadership skills. I enjoy the process of helping students set a vision for their organization and work with their members to meet goals.
Q: What do you like best about working with young medical students?
A: Young medical students are the future of our healthcare. In them, I see the communities from which they came and the communities they will serve. It is an honor to be a part of their journey. I enjoy the many lessons young students teach me about humility. I also enjoy their tips on how to use new technologies to learn, communicate, and lead.
Q: What are your favorite things to do at AUC — both on campus and around Sint Maarten?
A: I enjoy hiking the trails in Sint Maarten with AUC colleagues and students. Working toward a common goal outside of the classroom brings students and faculty together and reminds me of why I love being part of the AUC mission.
Q: Many current and future medical students (including your own) will read this interview; do you have any advice for them?
A: Medical school is undoubtedly tough. Never forget your reasons for applying to medical school, and hold that purpose close to your heart on the most difficult days. Lean on your faculty for support and guidance whenever you need it — we are here to help you succeed. Stay focused, because your efforts will ultimately contribute to the well-being of numerous families. Keep pushing forward!
Thank you, Dr. Humphrey, for sharing your valuable time and experience with us!
If a career in medicine interests you, learn more about AUC and our medical sciences curriculum, as well as the requirements for admission.