Bridging Medicine and Community Care

Many of us go into medicine because we want to “help people”. Explicitly saying this phrase is generally discouraged, but almost every version of a personal statement for a medical profession will contain some iteration of this sentiment. One of the best ways to accomplish this mission is to be involved with service and community engagement as a medical trainee and provider.

Giving back to my community has provided me with excellent education and meaningful relationships with patients and other providers. Additionally, service opportunities can provide medical trainees with exposure to fields of interest. As a medical student, I sought out opportunities where I could provide for the dermatologic needs of my community. These experiences helped expand access to dermatologic care in my community and provided me with skills and insight I will use as a dermatologist.

In this blog, I will outline some ways to get involved with your community as a medical student and how these experiences can impact your training.

Student-Run Free Clinic

Most medical schools have a student-run free clinic, which is a clinic that is led by medical students to provide free care to the community. Student-run free clinics serve multiple functions. The primary function is to provide medical care and access to underserved members of the community. Additionally, they serve to educate students who learn medicine while providing care. These clinics are typically interprofessional and include students from a variety of disciplines including medicine, social work, pharmacy, etc. Medical students can serve in different roles at these clinics, depending on interest, experience, and community needs. 

I was heavily involved in my school’s student-run free clinic. I served as a clinical volunteer, administrator, and manager at different stages of my training. As a clinical volunteer, I learned how to effectively take histories, perform physical exams, and present patients to attending providers. When I was an administrator, I gained operational and financial skills. As a manager, I learned how to coordinate and lead others to provide high quality care for patients. While medicine relies on science, it encompasses a wide breadth of professional disciplines including business and finance. My involvement with the student-run free clinic at my medical school taught me many business principles and professional skills that support my career as a physician. 

How to Get Involved in a Student-Run Free Clinic:

• Reach out to your school administrators or check out the Society of Student-Run Free Clinics to learn more. If your school does not have a student-run free clinic, consider starting one!
• Specialty care can be difficult for many community members to access. Many academic specialty departments partner with Student-Run Free Clinics. Reach out to someone in your department of interest to learn more about existing partnerships and how you can get involved. 
• Consider roles outside of your field of interest. Some specialty care (radiology, surgery) is difficult to deliver in a community clinic setting. You will still learn general medicine that will support your education and future training. 

Community Events

Another great opportunity to be involved with service as a medical student is to participate and organize community events. The possibilities of event topics are endless. Some examples include: cancer screening events, hypertension and diabetes screening, resource fairs, disease awareness events, pop-up clinics, and more. 

As a medical student, I participated in many community events. As an aspiring dermatologist, I participated in and led several skin cancer screening events with a local non-profit. I also was able to provide dermatologic care to people experiencing incarceration or homelessness through pop-up clinics. Additionally, I hosted a presentation on the importance of skincare to a diabetic support group and provided them with sample routines and products to protect their skin. These experiences were instrumental in growing my clinical knowledge and gave me insight into the needs of my community in my specialty of interest. 

How to Get Involved in Community Events as a Med School Student: 

• Sign up for emails/notifications from interest groups and service organizations at your school. 
• Research existing outreach initiatives from professional organizations for your specialty of interest (ex: American Psychiatry Association, American Academy of Dermatology, etc). Many of these societies offer toolkits or resources on their website to encourage community engagement.
• Engage with local organizations and nonprofits to learn about the needs of the population they serve and how you can partner with them to help meet those needs. 

Research

Conducting research on community needs and underserved populations is critical to providing care for communities. Many foundations and grants support projects that have data to demonstrate the need and projected effectiveness of intervention. Research and data help people characterize and understand community needs and direct funding to address these needs. Additionally, research promotes quality to community interventions and charitable care. 

Participating in research on underserved populations and community interventions not only taught me important research skills, but also helped me contribute to targeted, thoughtful, and effective interventions for my community. 

How to Get Involved in Research as a Med School Student: 

• Do a literary search of research on underserved populations or interventions in your specialty of interest to familiarize yourself with relevant topics. 
• Reach out to a faculty member in your specialty of interest to inquire about joining an existing project or proposing a new one that focuses on underserved populations and community interventions. 
• Consider public health coursework or formal training (MPH program) to become an expert in research methods and data collection for community health. 

Conclusion

These experiences were both educational and incredibly meaningful. This work allowed me to participate in life-changing medical care for people who were in pain and felt hopeless. Community service and care are excellent ways to grow and learn in medicine as you participate in the mission of helping others. As you look for ways to engage with your community, reflect on the needs of the community and how you can use your skills and interests to help meet those needs. Talk to mentors in your field of interest to learn more about how you can support or create sustainable initiatives. Additionally, consider service roles that might not be exactly in line with your field of interest.