Lourdes Valdez and Ramneek Dhami posing with providers from the Skin Cancer and Dermatology Institute (SCDI) and medical student volunteers. | University of Nevada, Reno press release.
Lourdes Valdez and Ramneek Dhami posing with providers from the Skin Cancer and Dermatology Institute (SCDI) and medical student volunteers. | University of Nevada, Reno press release.
University of Nevada, Reno students and staff were able to utilize a free skin cancer screening clinic during the past spring semester.
According to a news release shared by the university, the clinic was established by two medical students, Lourdes Valdez and Ramneek Dhami.
According to Dhami: “Many people don’t know about skin cancer, its dangers or its risk factors, unless there is family history involved. Although the skin is the largest organ of the body, we tend to not take care of it like we do other parts of the body. We wanted to host the free clinic to spread education regarding skin cancer and to encourage people to take care of their skin, learn about skin cancer risk factors and be vigilant for signs of skin changes.”
The university reported that the clinic was a joint effort with the Nevada Cancer Coalition at the Center for Molecular Medicine.
According to Valdez: “As a Mexican-American citizen with darker skin, I thought that my pigmentation would protect me from the harmful rays of the sun that caused skin cancer. I never received any formal education growing up regarding this topic, especially for people who looked like me. Thus, as a child, I would hardly ever wear sunscreen, and now, as an adult, that’s one of my biggest regrets and one of the reasons that I’m so passionate about skin cancer awareness.”
The release reports that there will be an estimated 770 melanoma diagnoses in Reno and the city sees 252 “sunny days” per year, which puts residents of the city at a bigger risk of getting skin cancer.
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