First year students visit PLUS sites

By Roman Petrowski, Office of Communications
Students working at the Blackwood Educational Land Institute

First-year medical students from the Class of 2029 participated in the Professional Learning Underscored by Service (PLUS) Service-Learning Student Program in August.

Through the PLUS Program, students have the opportunity to learn about their community, connect with local health organizations and community leaders, and gain hands-on experience by partnering with organizations. The PLUS Program brings this vision to life by embedding meaningful, community-based experiences into every student’s education.

By partnering with local organizations, the program is developing future physicians who are clinically skilled, socially conscious, culturally aware, and deeply connected to the communities they will serve.

Within their respective McGovern Societies, students visited one of 16 organizations, including:

  • Children 4 Tomorrow
  • Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse
  • Breakthrough Houston
  • Nehemiah Center
  • Institute for Spirituality and Health
  • Blackwood Educational Land Institute
  • Westbury Community Garden
  • YMCA International Services
  • Dyslexia School of Houston
  • Tony’s Place
  • Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation
  • Magnificat Houses – St. Joseph House
  • Hiram Clarke Multi-Service Center
  • Amazing Place
  • Buffalo Bayou Partnership
  • Civic Heart

One student shared their testimony of working with Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse.

“During our PLUS session at AVDA, they presented ways to identify domestic abuse and how to go about providing resources for the people who may need it, whether that be victim or perpetrator. The coordinator particularly emphasized that, in our roles as clinicians, we have a very special role in identifying and helping victims of domestic abuse, as many patients confide in us about private and sensitive matters due to their trust in us.

“One thing that challenged my perspective was the emphasis on being non-assertive—while we could and should provide resources to people we suspect may be experiencing domestic abuse, it is not appropriate to confront them about it directly, as this may cause victims to close themselves off to further aid and become defensive. I feel as if this will sometimes come into direct conflict with physicians’ missions to ‘do no harm,’ as not taking direct action in certain situations can feel as if we are not doing all we can to help our patients.

“However, I now understand that mindset, as it was explained that victims can become even more endangered if their abusers found out about a physician’s aid. I feel as if it will be a difficult line to walk in practice, but it is an important one to consider. AVDA has helped me become more aware of how to approach these conversations of suspected domestic abuse in the clinic, which I am grateful for.”

Another student shared their perspective at the Nehemiah Center.

“My experience at the Nehemiah Center ended up being far more powerful than I expected. Throughout the day, my society toured the entire campus, watched videos, learned about the rich history and mission, and even had the opportunity to interact with some of the middle schoolers and preschoolers. What surprised me most wasn’t the information we learned about the organization or even spending time with the kids, but listening to the faculty and staff.

“When speaking with the development director, Ms. Luna, I was blown away by the way she spoke about the children. She could recall every name of every student, where they lived, how long they had been at Nehemiah, and even where they were attending college or graduate school. Her strong passion for supporting these children at risk — their goals, their interests, and even their parents and siblings — was incredibly moving.

“We also had the privilege of spending time with Ms. Dabney, who had just begun working as a volunteer coordinator. Hearing about her journey as an educator was truly inspiring. It’s one thing to sit in a classroom and learn about social determinants of health as I’ve been doing for years, but it’s another entirely to step foot into this world and witness it firsthand. The experience reminded me that in clinical settings, being able to fully understand a patient’s story, beyond their medical chart, can profoundly shape empathy, communication, and the decisions that health care professionals will make in their care. I’m genuinely excited to continue working with the Nehemiah Center throughout my time in Houston and will definitely be reaching out to Ms. Dabney about volunteering.”

A number of McGovern Medical School faculty also volunteered to help with the PLUS Program. The program thanks Jean Hsu, DO; Cindy Woolverton, PhD; Jessica Badawi, PhD; Vershanna Morris, MD; Asia Bright, PhD; Tessa Orellana, PhD; Hilary Fairbrother, MD, MPH; Joelle Robertson-Preidler, PhD, MA; Michelle Ruda, MD; Veronica Gonzalez, MD; Terri Major-Kincade, MD, MPH; Elizabeth Noser, MD; Jerome Jeevarajan, MD; John Riggs, MD, MS; Jennifer Bahrman, PhD; Karen Posey, PhD; Maria Caldas-Vasquez, MD; Christine Ju, MD; Sam Neher, EdD, MS; Mary Horton, PhD, MPH, MA; Stephen Chao, MD, MPH; Samantha Guzman, PsyD; Deepa Iyengar, MD, MPH; and Nathan Carlin, PhD.

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