Required service learning for medical students: Program description and student response

Burrows, MS Chauvin, S Lazarus, CJ Chehardy, P

Ms. Burrows et al., Required service learning for medical students: Program description and student response, TEACH L MED, 11(4), 1999, pp. 223-231

19

INGLESE

Article

General & Internal Medicine

TEACHING AND LEARNING IN MEDICINE

1040-1334 → ACNP

11

4

1999

223 - 231

ISI

1040-1334(199923)11:4<223:RSLFMS>2.0.ZU;2-Y

Background: Medical schools are in the process of examining their roles in training and preparing medical students for the changing world of health ca re. Many institutions are searching for ways to help promote positive relat ions between medical schools and the communities they serve. A form of expe riential pedagogy called service learning is one way to accomplish such goa ls. Description: Tulane University School of Medicine implemented a required 20 hr of service learning for freshman medical students as part of an interdi sciplinary longitudinal course, Foundations in Medicine. Evaluation: Community service hours and projects performed were tabulated o ver 3 years. A qualitative description of student feedback was undertaken. Conclusion: The program demonstrates that requiring service learning is acc eptable to students, the medical school, and the community. The results sho w that required service learning has at least a short-term beneficial impac t on students.