Young Doctors Program-Colorado: An Elective Elementary School Program to Improve Health Literacy, Utilization of the Healthcare System, and Osteopathic Awareness

Abstract

The Young Doctors Program (YDP) is a “mini medical school” series for fifth-grade elementary children. The YDP was designed and led by medical students in the Academic Medicine and Leadership Track at the Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Colorado. The curriculum of the program was designed around the State of Colorado Learning Standards with the purpose of educating students about emergencies and common ailments in five body systems (cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, and renal) while also providing exposure to healthcare as a profession. YDP provides children with insights into the healthcare system, an introduction to osteopathic medicine, and it enhances community outreach. This article provides a framework for the semester-long YDP curriculum as well as our final event which synthesizes learned information using standardized patients. We describe successes including community outreach and healthcare exposure in the elementary school, and challenges initiating connections with local schools and funding. Future goals include expanding outreach to other fifth-grade schools as well as growth to different age levels. Authors plan to pursue IRB approval for research to examine the benefits and efficacy of the YDP.