Interdisciplinary Service Learning

Interdisciplinary Student Medical Clinics
Medical students of the University of Connecticut Health Center (UCHC) have coordinated and managed medical clinics at several homeless shelters in Hartford, for the last decade known as the Soup Park Inn Model (link). The South Park Inn Model was brought to the Covenant Soup Kitchen in Willimantic by Jenny Pope, a fourth-year medical student of UCHC at the time. Eastern AHEC worked in collaboration with Dr. Pope providing the initial funding of clinic supplies and resources, organized and implemented focus groups of health care and human services providers, and potential consumers to determine if the clinic would be seen as a necessary resource. The clinic began on a monthly basis in January 2005. Local physicians in private practice are recruited to precept for the clinic. Drs. Ronald Kelly and William Johnson are most generous of their time and commitment to community health.

From the start of the clinic, the University of Connecticut School of Nursing participated in the clinics, whereby the nursing students under the supervisor of their faculty advisory Carolyn Mullen, tried the patients and conducted health assessments. By the second year, Phil Hritcko, Chair of the Department of Pharmacy at the university was brought in and a true interdisciplinary clinic evolved.

The Inter-professional Evaluation
An inter-professional committee was formed with the Department of Educational Psychology, with Dr. Ann O’Connell and her post-graduate student Andrea Fuhrel. They develop an assessment tool to evaluate the effectiveness of the interdisciplinary clinic model. Our initial evaluation data suggests these inter-professional teams have improved student understanding of other health care professions and their willingness to work in collaborative teams. Student evaluations also suggested that one of the greatest impacts on student perceptions has been willingness to work with medically underserved or minority populations as a future health care provider.

How the interdisciplinary clinic works:

1. At the beginning of the evening, the medical student coordinator brings all health professions students together to go over the goals, student roles and expectations of the clinic. If time permits, students are also presented with a summary sheet on the salient issues in treating vulnerable populations as well as issues around interprofessional health care delivery and communication.
2. Following the student nurse and pharmacist initial assessment, a brief meeting takes place with the two medical students to discuss the presenting problem.
3. Following the medical student exam, the medical, nursing and pharmacy students consult with the preceptor and the APRN if available. The interdisciplinary nature of the clinic experience is to allow multiple health professions students to work as a collaborating team.
4. Team discussions ideally occur for every patient and this is reasonable during clinics that have 5-7 patients.
5. On busy nights, only one interdisciplinary team meeting may occur either during the initial presentation or the consultation.
6. On very busy nights or unusually hectic nights, team meetings may not occur during clinic hours. However, the team should take 10 minutes at the end of the evening to conduct at least one case review.
7. Referral forms are given to the student site coordinator, who is responsible for delivering them to the appropriate clinic the following Monday.
8. All students attending the clinic are asked to complete an evaluation form and return it to the student site coordinator. If possible, the medical student coordinator facilitates a brief closing session in which students have the chance to share comments, personal impressions or suggestions regarding their clinic experience.
   
   
   

For more information or to inquire about placement, contact Victoria Lowe