Number
250
Name
Bridging the Gap: Leveraging Student-Run Clinics as Experiential Platforms for Health Professions Addiction Education
Date & Time
Sunday, June 7, 2026, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
Location Name
Oglethorpe Ballroom
Speakers
Authors
Saranya Gourisetti, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia
Adrian Bozocea, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia
Hawkins Pontes, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia
Cabery Taylor, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia
Arthur Yu, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia
Madison Cramer, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia
Ryan Lee, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia
Apoorva Palled, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia
Rajarajan Srinivasan, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia
Austin Joshua, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia
Pamela Tiper, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia
Presentation Topic(s)
Curriculum
Description
PURPOSE
Healthcare provider stigma toward individuals with substance use disorders
(SUD) significantly impedes treatment access and recovery. Traditional
didactic curricula often fail to dismantle these biases. Integrating
addiction medicine training through experiential learning may address these
gaps early in health professions education. This study examined whether
volunteering at a student-run free clinic (SRFC) influenced interprofessional
students' attitudes toward addiction compared to peers without this exposure.
METHODS
A cross-sectional survey assessed medical, dental, and physician assistant
students at a US medical school using the validated Brief Substance Abuse
Attitude Survey (BSAAS) for permissiveness, treatment optimism,
non-stereotyping, treatment intervention, and non-moralism. Mann-Whitney U
and Kruskal-Wallis tests compared 91 students (60 non-volunteers, 31
volunteers) at the Health and Lifestyle Outreach (HALO) Clinic. Effect sizes
were calculated using rank-biserial correlation (r).
RESULTS
Volunteers demonstrated a strong trend toward greater treatment optimism
(p=0.053, r =0.24) and reduced stereotyping (p=0.083, r =0.22) compared to
non-volunteers, though strict significance was not reached. Notably, students
aged > 25 exhibited significantly more favorable attitudes than younger
peers for overall perceptions (p=.018, r=0.34) and non-moralism (p=.016,
r=0.34). Furthermore, prior personal/familial experience with addiction was
significantly associated with higher treatment optimism (p=0.028).
CONCLUSION
While clinical exposure trended toward positive attitudinal shifts,
findings indicate that life experience is a primary driver of
non-stigmatizing attitudes. This suggests that standard curricula may be
insufficient for younger students who lack diverse life experiences. To
bridge this gap, health professions education must prioritize targeted
experiential interventions - like SRFCs - that simulate the life experiences
necessary to foster compassion and mitigate provider bias. Ultimately, this
framework offers a scalable model for addressing provider stigma toward other
vulnerable populations where similar attitudinal barriers compromise care
delivery.
Healthcare provider stigma toward individuals with substance use disorders
(SUD) significantly impedes treatment access and recovery. Traditional
didactic curricula often fail to dismantle these biases. Integrating
addiction medicine training through experiential learning may address these
gaps early in health professions education. This study examined whether
volunteering at a student-run free clinic (SRFC) influenced interprofessional
students' attitudes toward addiction compared to peers without this exposure.
METHODS
A cross-sectional survey assessed medical, dental, and physician assistant
students at a US medical school using the validated Brief Substance Abuse
Attitude Survey (BSAAS) for permissiveness, treatment optimism,
non-stereotyping, treatment intervention, and non-moralism. Mann-Whitney U
and Kruskal-Wallis tests compared 91 students (60 non-volunteers, 31
volunteers) at the Health and Lifestyle Outreach (HALO) Clinic. Effect sizes
were calculated using rank-biserial correlation (r).
RESULTS
Volunteers demonstrated a strong trend toward greater treatment optimism
(p=0.053, r =0.24) and reduced stereotyping (p=0.083, r =0.22) compared to
non-volunteers, though strict significance was not reached. Notably, students
aged > 25 exhibited significantly more favorable attitudes than younger
peers for overall perceptions (p=.018, r=0.34) and non-moralism (p=.016,
r=0.34). Furthermore, prior personal/familial experience with addiction was
significantly associated with higher treatment optimism (p=0.028).
CONCLUSION
While clinical exposure trended toward positive attitudinal shifts,
findings indicate that life experience is a primary driver of
non-stigmatizing attitudes. This suggests that standard curricula may be
insufficient for younger students who lack diverse life experiences. To
bridge this gap, health professions education must prioritize targeted
experiential interventions - like SRFCs - that simulate the life experiences
necessary to foster compassion and mitigate provider bias. Ultimately, this
framework offers a scalable model for addressing provider stigma toward other
vulnerable populations where similar attitudinal barriers compromise care
delivery.
Presentation Tag(s)
Student Presentation