Med Student Service Learning Projects Explore Determinants of Health

First-year medical students displayed 15 posters for service learning projects in the CARE/Crawley Atrium April 29, 2015. The projects represent their engagement with social service agencies and neighborhoods in Greater Cincinnati as part of the course Physician and Society 102 taught by Joseph Kiesler, MD, associate professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine

First prize was awarded to a team of 12 students who developed a project designed to enrich and promote fatherhood resources in Cincinnati’s Avondale neighborhood. The team consisted of the following students: Adrian Acosta, Kim He, Taylor Kantor, Stephanie Kerlakian, Benjamin McGlothlin, Swathi Prasad, Christian Romanchek, Christine Rubeiz, Melissa Schopper, Teresa Whitake, Joseph Wilding and Kevin Zhang.

Students collaborated with Anita Brentley, a senior specialist for community engagement with Every Child Succeeds (ECS), a home-visitation program designed to aid and educate Avondale families and first-time mothers in the care of their children throughout the first critical years of life. ECS has established a monthly support group for fathers and male caregivers raising children. UC medical students are attempting to assist this support group for male caregivers.

The student posters were a follow-up to the fall semester 2014 where students worked with ECS and other social service agencies and neighborhood groups to explore determinants of health in Greater Cincinnati area neighborhoods.