Student Experiences and Perceptions of Participation in Student-Led Health Clinics: A Systematic Review

ABSTRACT

Supervised student-led health clinics provide students with opportunities to develop practice skills with “real” people by delivering clinical services to underserved communities. Clinics provide opportunities for interprofessional learning and the development of clinical, communication, leadership, and teamwork skills. A systematic review was reported in accordance with guidelines recommended in PRISMA to explore the perceptions and experiences of social work students within student-led health clinics. The review found very few studies either addressed the experiences of social work students specifically or reported them, and that social work students were not always included in student-led health clinics. Benefits of participation for students from a range of disciplines related to interprofessional experiences, work with marginalized communities/real world experiences, personal benefit and skill development. Of concern is the lack of research attention to the social work student experience which may point to a gap in social work education and social work’s apparent absence in some multidisciplinary student-led health clinics.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lynne Briggs

Associate Professor Lynne Briggs is the Academic Lead for Field Education and Clinical Practice in the School of Human Services and Social Work and has overall responsibility for the Social Work Clinic located in Griffith University's Health Clinics on the Gold Coast, Australia.

Patricia Fronek

Dr. Patricia Fronek is the Director of the Bachelor of Social Work Programs in the School of Human Service and Social Work at Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia.