Service Learning in the Medical School Curriculum

Mary Marfisee, MD, MPH

Program Director Student Run Homeless Clinics

UCLA

Service Learning

• method of teaching and learning that combines structured academic activity with meaningful service to the community

Difference from Volunteerism

• Service

• Structured learning

• Reflection

History

• 1862 Morril Act, Land Grants• 1870 Sunday School• 1920 University Cooperatives/Extensions• 1960 Peace Corps, VISTA, OEO• 1970 National Student Volunteer Program• 2005 LCME Service Learning Standard

• STANDARD IS-14-A:• 2005-06

• “Medical schools should make available sufficient opportunities for medical students to participate in service-learning activities, and should encourage and support student participation.”

National and Community Service Act of 1990

• Grants

• Curricula

• Special programs– K-12, higher education, retired persons

Major Organizations

• Learn and Serve America’s National Service Learning Clearing House(NSLC)

• National Service Learning Partnerships

• Jimmy and Rossyln Carter Partnership Foundation

• K-graduate school SL Offices

Service Learning in Medicine

Creating Community-Responsive Physicians: Concepts and Models for Service Learning in Medical Education

Sarena Seifer, ed.Kris Hermanns, ed.

Judy Lewis, ed.2000

Service Learning in Medicine

• Experiencing service learning: students of a new medical school as vaccinators and independent monitors.

Hussein, AA. Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences International University of Africa Khartoum Sudan.

Established SL Programs Medical Schools

• Community-Campus Partnerships for Health, Michigan State University, College of Human Medicine

• Creighton University• Harvard Medical School, Division of Service

Learning• Office of Medical Service Learning, Indiana

University School of Medicine• University of New Mexico School of

Medicine

David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

• Student Run Homeless Clinics-Fam Med Dept, 1989

• Mobile Clinic-School of Public Health-GWHFC-DGSOM, 2000

• Koreatown Clinic-Fam Med, 2008

• PRIME- Happy Feet, 2009

Service Learning David Geffen School of Medicine at

UCLA• Lennox Health Fair• Synergy Health Fair• California Medical Association Foundation Charity

Basketball Tournament • Tar Wars• Albert Schweitzer Fellowship • Dept of Pediatrics Mattel Children’s Hospital Van,

Le Esperanza Clinic-Tijuana• Jules Stein Eye Van • RAM

Student Run Homeless Clinics

• SRHC• Weekly • 300 600/yr• SanMoShel, LAHSA

Winter Shelter• Basic Primary care,

Health screenings, CLIA labs, medications, immunizations, referrals

Mobile Clinic

• Mobile Clinic• Weekly• ??• Hollywood streets,

OPCC • Acute care, Basic check-

ups, Resource information and referrals, Dental, Preventive care, Health education, STD

                                                                        

Elements of Success

• Student-initiated

• Active faculty participation

• Residents, fellows, undergrads

• Academic credit

• Reflection

• A little funding

Future Direction

• Organize DGSOM service learning under one office

• Increase Supervision

• Interdisciplinary

• Increase faculty recruitment

• Outcome analysis

Reflection Surveys• How does this experience compare to your

other clinical rotations? “ I feel like I’m really doing something.”

“ This makes me want to stay up and read tonight. I’m less motivated to do that when I’m doing other rotations.”

“The preceptor was more available to me here.”

“ You know all this talk about there not being healthcare for poor people in this country….that’s not true. We’re providing it right here.”