McGovern adds service learning to medical school curriculum
To strengthen its commitment to service, McGovern Medical School is adding a service learning program to the first- and second-year curriculum beginning in the 2024-25 school year.
“Service learning exposes students to real-world contexts, allowing them to become aware of their roles, responsibilities, and ethical considerations,” said Asia Bright, PhD, assistant professor in the Louis A. Faillace, MD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and director of the Office of Professionalism. “Reflecting on these experiences enhances their understanding of ‘the physician’ and ultimately has an effect on their professional identity formation. Moreover, by having the chance to talk with community members, it centers the humanism back in medicine and hopefully increases self-efficacy in connecting and treating the various communities of Houston.”
Traditionally first- and second-year medical students have participated in a biannual “Day of Service,” organized by the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs, where they volunteered their time and skills to help make a positive impact in the community. With the new service learning initiative, Professionalism Learning Underscored by Service (PLUS), students will have the opportunity to reflect on their experiences in a classroom environment through guided discussions.
“This revamped program aims to integrate service learning more deeply into our curriculum, fostering not only professional growth but also a profound value of civic engagement,” Bright said.
The program will seek to help students assess various neighborhoods in Houston to identify social determinants of health and integrate civic responsibility into the formation of their professional identity. Additionally, students will learn how to examine various cultures of health from the perspective of different organizations throughout the community.
Students will begin the curriculum with two short didactics on the “Art of Observation,” from Anson Koshy, MD, adjunct associate professor in the McGovern Center for Humanities and Ethics, and “Service Learning and the Physician,” from Derek Craig, PhD, from the Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health.
Over two days this fall, first- and second-year students will visit local partnering organizations to learn about their impact on their communities and social determinants of health.
Students will learn from organizations ranging from the Halo House, which helps save the lives of cancer patients battling leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma, by offering access to clean, temporary, and affordable housing so that they can pursue treatment at the Texas Medical Center, to The Tejano Center, which has a full food pantry called La Tiendita to respond to limited food access and education to inform and enroll families in SNAP.
Other participating organizations include Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, Combined Arms Veteran Transition Center, Emancipation Community Center, Project Row Houses, Third Ward Multi Service Center, Recipe for Success, The Children’s Assessment Center, West University Public Library, ChristChurch Presbyterian, CarePartners, Casa De Esperanza, and the Asia Society Texas Center.
After working with the organizations, the students will meet with their facilitator to debrief and submit a written reflection. In the Spring, students will reunite with their organizations to assist in hands-on work to help the organizations complete their goals. Additionally, students will have to opportunity to continue their work with the organization throughout the year and apply that time to the McGovern student organization Service Learning at McGovern (SLAM), which is in the process of turning into a scholarly concentration.
“We are excited to introduce our new PLUS Service Learning Program, building on the success of the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs’ Day of Service,” said Caitlin McAfee, senior program manager in the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs. “This program offers students the opportunity to forge meaningful connections within the community, while also allowing the community to help shape their development as future physicians. For many of our students who are new to Houston, this program provides a unique chance to engage with and understand the local communities they will eventually serve”