Our event, “Tapped In: Your Body, Your Business,” was a health and wellness block party for the Nashville metropolitan area. While it was open to the broader community, we specifically wanted to reach undergraduate students at Fisk University and Tennessee State University, which are both located near Meharry. Our goal was to create a space where students and community members could receive free health education, resources, and screenings in a way that felt welcoming, engaging, and not overly clinical.

The OB/GYN Interest Group focused on sexual and reproductive health. We handed out Plan B, condoms, and hygiene products, and attendees were able to build their own hygiene kits with the products they needed. We also shared sexual health education infographics and partnered with the Metro Health Department and the Music City PrEP Clinic to offer free on-site STI testing. To encourage participation, we gave gift cards to the first 50 people who completed STI testing.

Meharry Medical College Obstetrics and Gynecology Interest Group and the Music City PrEP Clinic.

Several other student interest groups helped make the event more comprehensive. The Psychiatry Interest Group offers anxiety and depression screenings along with counseling resources. Dermatology hosted an interactive game on common skin conditions with educational handouts and prizes. Pediatrics hosted a pediatric trivia event and shared information on local resources. Lifestyle Medicine provides healthy snacks and education on sleep, nutrition, stress management, substance use, and social connections. Family Medicine gave out goodie bags with preventive health information, primary care checklists, healthy snacks, and education on movement and physical activity.

The Psychiatry Interest Group.

We also had music, a food truck, a juicery vendor, clothing vendors, and raffle prizes. Attendees received bingo cards and were encouraged to visit and engage with different tables. Once they completed their cards, they were entered into a raffle. We wanted the event to feel like a true block party while still centering health education and access to care.

Students gathered around a table at the “Tapped In: Your Body, Your Business” Health & Wellness Block Party.

Overcoming Challenges Behind the Scenes

We started planning around May and worked consistently up until the event. The process involved a lot of moving parts: securing vendors, coordinating with community partners, raising funds, getting donations, receiving approval from the school and legal team, and figuring out permits and logistics to safely block off the street.

It was definitely overwhelming at times, especially because we were also balancing our responsibilities as medical students. One of our main goals was to make the event as free as possible for attendees. Aside from purchasing food from the food truck, everything else was free, including the screenings, hygiene products, Plan B, condoms, educational resources, and raffle prizes. Because of that, we had to work really hard to secure enough funding and donations to cover the different parts of the event.

One of the biggest challenges was getting the event approved, especially given the legal and administrative components. Since we were trying to block off a street and host a large community event, there were many safety, liability, and permitting details that had to be addressed. We had to go back and forth with our institution’s legal team and the president’s office to make sure everything was covered and approved.

Another challenge was coordinating vendors. We had a food truck drop out, and then another vendor dropped close to the event as well. We had to quickly pivot and find another food truck. Thankfully, the replacement food truck arrived, and attendees really enjoyed it.

We also had some challenges with coordinating different interest groups and volunteers. Some people or groups had to pull back at the last minute, so we had to stay flexible and adjust our plans. What helped most was being persistent and proactive. We followed up constantly, sent emails, made phone calls, and stayed on top of the people who had final approval. We also learned to adapt quickly when something did not go according to plan.

Tips for Hosting a Community Event

• Start early, especially if your institution has not hosted an event like this before. If your school or community has previously hosted a block party or street closure event, reach out to organizers and ask about the process, permits, city requirements, and lessons learned.
• Have a solid core team. For us, there were about three of us who were really driving the event forward, but in hindsight, having even more people would have been helpful. It is a lot of work, especially while balancing medical school. Find people who are just as passionate about the vision as you are, divide up the responsibilities early, and communicate often.
• Give yourself grace. The first year will not be perfect. We are hoping to host the event again and make adjustments based on what we learned. But if you have an idea that feels meaningful and needed in your community, start planning early, build a strong team, and do not be afraid to ask for help.