IntroductionThe number of primary care physicians in the United States continues to lag behind the number of uninsured people. There has been a growing demand for medical students to improve their self-efficacy, comfortableness, attitude, and interest in working with the underserved and in primary care. This study aims to discern whether volunteering at a student-run, free healthcare clinic has a positive impact on these five variables of interest or not.MethodsA 95-item survey was distributed through Qualtrics Survey Software (Qualtrics, Provo, UT, USA) to medical students from the Class of 2018 and Class of 2019 at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine. They were recruited via emails, Facebook, and in-classroom announcements. Mean responses on a Likert-like scale to different survey items were collected and compared between two study cohorts: Keeping Neighbors In Good Health Through Service (KNIGHTS) Clinic volunteers and non-volunteers.ResultsResults from 128 students showed no significant differences in the means between the two cohorts (p-values were not significant). When volunteers were asked the survey item, “KNIGHTS Clinic positively influenced my attitude towards working with underserved patients,” 62% strongly agreed, 26% agreed, 10% were neutral, and 2% disagreed.DiscussionBased on the results, volunteering at KNIGHTS Clinic may not have a positive impact on the five variables of interest. However, the lack of significance may also be due to certain limitations of this study addressed elsewhere in this paper. With the majority of KNIGHTS Clinic volunteers agreeing that “KNIGHTS Clinic positively influenced […their] attitude towards working with underserved patients,” there may be a positive impact of volunteering on volunteers’ attitude towards working with the underserved.

It is increasingly evident that patient health outcomes are improved when they are treated by an effective interdisciplinary healthcare team. Many also endorse that learning to function collaboratively in interdisciplinary settings should start at the onset of one’s medical education. Student-run free clinics, such as the University of Central Florida College of Medicine’s (UCF COM) KNIGHTS (Keeping Neighbors In Good Health Through Service) Clinic, provide opportunities for students to work in concert with other healthcare professionals. This study aimed to discern whether volunteering in this setting had a positive impact on medical students’ perception of working within an interdisciplinary team. A single survey was distributed via Qualtrics to all first and second-year medical students (N = 248) at the UCF COM. The items of interest examined in this study were part of a larger study described elsewhere. The mean responses on a 5-point Likert-like scale to these survey items were recorded and compared between two cohorts: KNIGHTS volunteers and non-volunteers. One hundred twenty-three (49.6%) students responded to the survey and most items showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups (p-value > 0.05). However, there were a few items of interest that did show a significant difference. These included KNIGHTS volunteers being much more likely to have worked with other healthcare professionals (p < 0.001) as well as believing themselves to have a better understanding of the role of medicine within an interprofessional team (p = 0.016). Additionally, KNIGHTS volunteers were more likely to feel like they understood the role of patient education (p = 0.031) and pharmacy (p = 0.040) within an interprofessional team. Interestingly, KNIGHTS volunteers were also more likely to believe that problem-solving skills should be learned with students within their own discipline (p = 0.009) as well as that there is little overlap between the roles of medical students and students from other healthcare disciplines (p = 0.044). Still, overall results showed that both volunteers and non-volunteers had an overall positive perception of interdisciplinary teams and working with other healthcare professionals.

Background In 2005, Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) collaborated with community partners to establish the Minority Medical Mentoring Program (MMMP), a semester-long health care pathway internship for high school seniors of color. This evaluation aimed to assess program participants’ perceptions of program components, identify areas for improvement, and broaden the evidence base of pathway programs. Methods Seventy-three MMMP alumni were invited to participate in an online survey. Closed- and open-ended questions aimed to assess respondents’ perceptions of program components and MMMP’s impact on their personal and professional lives. Results Forty-six alumni responded to the survey. The MMMP was perceived as universally valuable. Clinical shadowing, mentors of color, and exposure to a variety of health professionals were viewed as the most valuable program components. The MMMP strengthened participants’ awareness of health disciplines, improved their self-confidence, and increased their professional skill sets. Surprisingly, the MMMP enabled some participants to recognize health career interests outside of clinical care. Limitations Selection, social desirability, and recall bias may limit interpretation of findings. Conclusion The MMMP is highly valued by participants. A high majority of respondents (40/46; 87%) plan to have a health career in the future. Pathway programs can shape career paths, increase self-awareness, and build self-confidence for success. It is important to note that systemic racism and discrimination must be addressed to fully ensure recruitment and retention of health care providers of color.