Monthly Day at the Market

The Schaufeld Program remains strongly committed to growing our presence in the larger community with a goal of increasing understanding and educational opportunities surrounding prostate cancer and prevention.

Men of Integrity Breakfasts

The Men of Integrity Breakfasts are organized by a longtime-friend of the Brady, Colonel "Brother Jim" Thomas. These monthly convenings are a safe space where Black men gather for fellowship, connection, and education. Stephen Johnson, Schaufeld Program Coordinator, attends and provides vital support for the meetings. Dr. Arthur Burnett, Patrick C. Walsh Professor of Urology, is a frequent expert guest lecturer.

In July 2023, Men of Integrity Breakfast attendees were joined by a very special guest: Maryland Governor Wes Moore. Governor Moore led a spirited discussion focused on his plans to help improve the health and wellness of Marylanders following the hardships endured as a result of the COVID-19pandemic. The discussion was also deeply personal, as Governor Moore opened up to share details about his early life, military service, and his career. He found a captive and engaged audience among the attendees, heavily comprised of many fellow veterans. The visit was a key opportunity to engage Governor Moore regarding the work of the Schaufeld Program, which aligns well with many of his stated goals for community health policy. Schaufeld Program leaders look forward to growing connections with the Governor and other community leaders to engage the Black community in focusing on health and prevention measures.

Shaufeld at the Shop

A strong commitment among Schaufeld Program leadership to develop relevant and timely health and prevention-focused programming that allows for authentic connection with the community led to the development of the Schaufeld in the Shop video series. The vision for Schaufeld in the Shop is a series of casual barbershop conversations revolving around various men's health issues and concerns giving the community access to some of the healthcare field’s leading experts to engage on a personal level in a safe and familiar environment. Recognizing that barbershops have long been valued as essential spaces for dialogue and connection building within Black communities, Hopkins experts Drs. Mohamad Allaf, Otis Brawley, Arthur Burnett, and Jelani Zarif visited Baltimore’s Reflection Eternal Barbershop to engage in a spirited conversation about prostate cancer in the Black community.

Schaufeld at the Shop | A Conversation on Prostate Cancer

Watch on YouTube -

To effect lasting improvement in community health, we must close the long-standing chasm between the inner city residents and the historically biased medical system. This effort requires both (a) bringing medical services and people into the community, as discussed in the next section, and (b) ensuring that the medical system itself evolves to include professionals who thoroughly and accurately understand community members’ challenges, needs, and preferences. Our second program component focuses on the latter, which we will achieve through creating immersive educational experiences for a variety of learners.

As we prepare healthcare professionals and research scientists to more intentionally and effectively address prostate cancer, we integrate our educational efforts into the very community with which we hope to positively affect. We pursue future Johns Hopkins healthcare trainees to get to know disenfranchised and/or underserved people where they are, and promote a broadening of the healthcare workforce to better reflect, better understand, and better serve people of the community.

This program component engages learners at different stages, with activities designed to inspire and encourage them to pursue careers in the biomedical sciences – focusing on community initiatives and aggressive prostate cancer research. An up to 2 year-long experience for trainees to become immersed in research and community outreach will lay the foundation for future learners to carry on the Schaufeld Program mission in perpetuity. We also propose our scholars participate in annual scientific conferences dedicated to prostate cancer research and treatment. These high-caliber forums will help educate and build awareness among current physicians and scientists internationally. It will also serve as a platform for our researchers and students to present their work, gain feedback, and practice assuming a visible leadership role in the area of prostate cancer.

Educational Objectives

The educational component of The Schaufeld Program for Prostate Cancer in Black Men will seek to:

• Inspire pre-professional students to explore careers in the biomedical sciences, particularly those focused on Black communities’ needs.
• Motivate medical students and residents to enter careers of community service.
• Educate fellows and postdoctoral trainees in effective care for the Black community through on-site experience.

While imbedded within the larger context of overall health and healthcare awareness (primarily prevention), we hope to motivate learners at all levels to take a particular interest in prostate cancer – both the scientific and the human health needs posed by this disease as it disproportionately afflicts men within the Black community.