PURPOSE
Medical students increasingly seek meaningful research and service-learning
experiences to shape their professional identity. However, recent
changes—such as Step 1 moving to Pass/Fail and a shortened preclinical
curriculum—have reduced opportunities for such engagement. To address this
gap, we implemented a longitudinal program that partners students with local
community organizations. Through these partnerships, students complete
service projects that inform community-engaged research questions. This study
evaluates the impact of integrating these experiences into the preclinical
curriculum on student research outcomes.
METHODS
Four community organizations collaborated with students during a week-long
course. Students attended sessions on community-informed research design and
met with their assigned organization to: (1) understand its mission, (2)
establish short-term collaboration goals, and (3) plan year-long service
rotations and educational activities. Engagement hours were tracked, and
follow-up exercises guided students in developing research questions based on
their experiences. Projects were monitored for progression to presentations
at the annual student research day or other scholarly meetings. Post-course
surveys assessed students’ intentions to continue projects during clerkships,
which include a research requirement.
RESULTS
Approximately 75% of projects evolved into substantive research efforts
presented locally and institutionally. Most students indicated plans to
continue their service-based projects during clerkships and/or integrate them
with clinical research opportunities.
CONCLUSIONS
Partnering with community organizations provides a unique and effective
approach to fostering community-engaged research in medical education. Early
exposure to impactful partnerships enhances research opportunities and
strengthens students’ sense of connection to the communities they will serve
as future physicians.