Opportunities and challenges for a standardized curriculum in a student-run clinic network

Abstract

Purpose

Student-run clinics (SRCs) are prevalent in medical schools. Although these are popular among students and provide ample learning opportunities, these opportunities are not well-characterized. SRCs are poised to support medical schools’ ability to meet accreditation standards and student growth and learning, particularly in areas missing from traditional curricula, such as social determinants of health, interprofessional education and inequities.

Materials and methods

At the Crimson Care Collaborative (CCC), a network of 7 Harvard Medical School affiliated student-faculty practices in the greater Boston area, we sought to understand what learning opportunities and challenges exist and if a standardized curriculum could improve learning and result in less duplication of teaching efforts. We conducted semi-structured individual interviews of student and faculty leaders and conducted a thematic analysis of the data.

Results

Four key themes emerged: (1) Standardization provides opportunities and challenges, (2) Embrace the unique learning opportunities of each clinic, (3) Educational coaches enhance learning opportunities and increase efficiency, (4) Reflection is a useful tool for improvement & learning.

Discussion

Our results demonstrate a benefit to both a standardized curriculum for all SRC sites focused on broad clinical, skill-based training and site-specific teaching focusing on the unique clinical needs of each student-run clinic.

Keywords:

• Undergraduate < phase of education
• general < curriculum
• multiprofessional <  curriculum
• primary care < discipline

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the CCC student and faculty leaders who kindly agreed to be interviewed for this project. This project did not receive any external funding.

Author contributions

All authors participated in the research and preparation of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article. GK has a family financial interest in a digital health company, Dimagi, Inc.

Glossary

Student Run Clinic: ‘A health care delivery program in which medical students take primary responsibility for logistics and operational management and which is capable of prescribing disease-specific treatment to patients.’ (Simpson and Long 2007)

Interprofessional Education (IPE): ‘Interprofessional education involves educators and learners from 2 or more health professions and their foundational disciplines who jointly create and foster a collaborative learning environment. The goal of these efforts is to develop knowledge, skills and attitudes that result in interprofessional team behaviors and competence.’ (Center for Advancement of Interprofessional Education (CAIPE). http://www.caipe.org.uk, Buring et al. Am J Pharm Educ. 2009 Jul 10; 73(4): 59.)

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Amy R. Weinstein

Amy R. Weinstein is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School (HMS).

Alma Onate

Alma Onate Munoz is a family practice resident at Greater Lawrence Family Health Care.

Gina Kruse

Gina Kruse is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and HMS.

Marya Cohen

Marya Cohen is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and HMS.