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Abstract #153246

Nora Gimpel, MD¹, Mark DeHaven, Ph D¹, and Tikisa Walker, MS². (1) Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 6263 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, TX 75390, 214-648-0768, nora.gimpel@utsouthwestern.edu, (2) Family and Community Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 6263 Harry Hines BLVD, Dallas, TX 75390

Increasingly, medical educators and leaders of national medical organizations recognize that physicians must be trained in population-based preventive health care. The Community Action Research Track (CART) responds directly to the need for integrating principles of population medicine, community-based participatory research (CBPR), social determinants of health, and health promotion and disease prevention in a medical school setting. An integrated curriculum was developed combining didactic components with applied participatory research and service-learning experiences. CART students contribute to improving community health outcomes in underserved communities, through their research and service projects in community-based public health, primary care and other health service delivery settings. Qualitative and quantitative data are collected to evaluate the progress and effectiveness of the program. An assessment tool is administered to the students upon enrollment into the program and yearly thereafter to examine their knowledge, skills and attitudes in understanding, managing and contributing to the health of populations. Mentors and community partners complete an evaluation form to assess their perspective about the program, the students' contribution to the community and their experience with the students and recommended changes to improve the program. Students (n=32, for a target enrollment of 17) and partners' (n=60) reported a high level of engagement and excitement about the program. The CART program represents an initial step to develop a replicable and nationally-applicable experience for training medical students in the population medicine perspective.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain the need for and the components of a program for engaging medical students in population medicine.
• Describe the goal, purpose, objectives and components of the Community Action Research Track (CART).
• Justify the need for similar programs to be implemented at other health professional training schools throughout the nation.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.