The installation of two sunscreen dispensers at USC School of Medicine Greenville (SOMG) makes it possible for students, faculty and staff to now stay skin safe while they enjoy the outdoors on campus.
As the weather warms, the SOMG community can use the two dispensers placed in the Health Sciences Education building, near the exits to Youkey Education Plaza.
The SOMG campus has been recognized as a Skin Smart Campus by The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention, and thanks to a Skin Smart Award along with support by IMPACT Melanoma, two Sun Protection Factor (SPF) 30 sunscreen dispensers were placed on the first floor of the Health Sciences Education building.
After all, a little SPF 30 can go a long way in protecting your skin. With over 5 million cases diagnosed in the United States each year, skin cancer is America’s most common cancer. And melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, is not uncommon even among young adults. Fortunately, skin cancer is also one of the most preventable cancers. Sunscreen can help minimize skin cell damage from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The EPA recommends using a sunscreen with a minimum SPF of at least 15 to protect against the sun’s rays.
At a ribbon cutting on April 4, second-year SOMG medical student Yash Verma, who organized the effort to bring the sunscreen dispensers to campus, was joined by fellow students, faculty and staff.
“This project became important to me after I learned that Greenville County has the highest incidence rate of melanoma in South Carolina,” says Yash. “Skin cancer is easily preventable with sunscreen, but people often forget to use it due to factors like forgetfulness, cost, or inconvenience. By placing dispensers in highly visible areas, I hope to encourage more people to use sunscreen regularly and protect their skin.”
The sunscreen dispensers contain 100% all-natural, eco-friendly, reef-safe SPF 30 broad-spectrum sunscreen that is made in the USA.
“I would like to thank Yash for all her work to bring attention to this important issue and her efforts to help our SOMG community protect their skin and increase their skin safety,” said Dr. Leah Robinson, Associate Dean of Student Affairs. “Simple preventative measures can go a long way.”
In December 2024, the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention presented the platinum level Skin Smart Campus Award to School of Medicine Greenville. This award recognizes SOMG’s commitment to ensuring the well-being of the campus community, providing a safe, healthy learning and living environment on and off campus. SOMG pledges to keep indoor tanning devices off the campus and out of all affiliated buildings. In addition, the school promotes skin cancer prevention and UV safety education and created an educational webpage on our school site focused on UV safety and skin cancer prevention.
The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention partners with IMPACT Melanoma to award two free sunscreen dispensers and a year’s worth of sunscreen as part of the platinum award.
Yash hopes that the dispensers will serve as a tangible reminder to the campus community to take steps to protect their skin while enjoying the outdoors.
Off campus, Yash is also working on a separate initiative with City of Greenville Parks and Recreation, the City of Greenville, and Carolina Dermatology to have two sunscreen dispensers placed as part of a pilot project in Greenville parks. The dispensers will be placed in Unity Park and Cancer Survivor’s Park.