Community action research track (CART) program: An innovative community based research training experience for medical students

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.