Service-Learning

Overview

Purpose

The Service-Learning Distinction Track prepares, encourages, supports, and recognizes medical students who work extensively with medically underserved, marginalized, and rural populations during their medical school career.

Objectives

1. Demonstrate the ability to work in collaboration with domestic and international communities on health care issues.
2. Apply scholarly methods to service learning.
3. Describe the impact of racial and ethnic disparities on health status.
4. Demonstrate social change and community impact through student leadership and activism.

Overarching Distinction Track Leadership Objectives

1. Identify how your core values impact your leadership style and philosophy
2. Engage in purposeful self-improvement
3. Build and lead a team toward achieving a common goal
4. Demonstrate effective change management skills to help lead needed improvements in an organization or community
5. Model how to communicate professionally as a physician-leader

Required Activities

M1 and M2 Years

1. Attend Service-Learning Track Lecture Series
2. Structured educational components, including completion of the Ethnic and Rural Health Disparities Graduate Certificate courses.
3. Participate in a service-learning internship in the summer following the M1 year
   1. Students must submit a project proposal including the aims, literature review, scope of work, detailed time frame, expected skills to be acquired, and identify a mentor.
   2. After project completion, the student must submit an abstract and create a poster to be presented at Brody School of Medicine Medical Student Scholarship Forum.
4. Plan and develop a longitudinal service-learning experience beginning in the M2 year

M3 and M4 Years

1. Attend Service-Learning Track Lecture Series
2. Structured educational components, including completion of the Ethnic and Rural Health Disparities Graduate Certificate courses.
3. Prepare reflection on feedback provided by community partners and mentors during needs assessment and service implementation.
4. Plan and lead service-learning activities for the M3 and M4 day of service.
5. Complete M4 Service-Learning Track Elective
   1. Service-Learning Track Students are expected to participate in an intensive experience in community health/service learning during the M4 year.
   2. Develop a learning plan, including goals and objectives and a day to day schedule with a mentor that focuses on the project aims and community needs. The project must be approved by the Service-Learning Track Evaluation Committee prior to beginning of the elective. After completion of the M4 elective, a brief summary report and the completed schedule must be submitted to Service-Learning Track Evaluation Committee in order for a grade to be awarded.
6. The M4 Service-Learning Track Elective must result in the completion of a formal report of manuscript describing a community intervention and assessment of its outcomes, with recommendations for meeting this community need on an ongoing basis. This may either be submitted for publication or submitted to the Evaluation Committee in the approved format. In the case of an unpublished manuscript, the mentor is expected to have seen and approved the manuscript as representing the student’s service-learning contributions. All manuscripts will be submitted to the Service-Learning Track Evaluation Committee for review and approval.
7. The service-learning project will be presented at the annual Distinction Day program.

Completion of Requirements

Students must complete all requirements prior to graduation. Final approval by the Service-Learning Track Evaluation Committee is required for graduation with distinction.

Longitudinal Required Track Activities

Successful completion of at least 40 hours of service-learning experience is required in addition to M1 Immersion experience and M4 Elective. Quarterly reports are required for all students participating in para-curricular tracks. For SLDT, progress must be documented in longitudinal service-learning projects and track-related education as well as participation in other community service activities.

Acknowledgement of track participation is contained in the MSPE letter and noted on the student’s transcript, contingent upon demonstration of acceptable progress towards program requirements. The MSPE letter concerning student’s track participation will contain a description of completed, current, and expected participation/requirements. Successful completion of the track requirements will be noted on the student’s transcript and during the graduation programs.

Application Process

1. Students submit an application that identifies their interests and goals.
2. Students must be in good academic standing in order to apply to the track.
3. Selections will be based on application and interviews.