Preparation

• Actively consider the community that you will be entering in preparation for each event. This may include historical healthcare interactions, knowledge of current interventions, familiarity with cultural considerations for the community, etc.
• Understand your roles and responsibilities as well as the scope of care that will be provided at the event. Ensure that you have completed the proper training (modules/skills sessions).
• Discuss safety/de-escalation plan with your team that addresses potential harm to both volunteers and community members.

Reflection

• Ethical considerations
• Quality improvement
• Safety for volunteers and community members
• Personal impact and professional identity development
• Reflections on the impacts of social determinants of health
• Identification of opportunities for advocacy that recognize gaps in care, duplication of effort, and ???

Successful participation in Service Learning while in medical school will require a balancing act as you learn to navigate personal, clinical, and academic responsibilities. However, learning to integrate service into your life as a medical student will teach you the skills that you will need to incorporate this meaningful work into your future practice.