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Health Care Pathways 2010: Preparing Students for Hot Jobs in a Cool Economy

Suzanne B. Cashman, ScD

November 18, 2010

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Challenges in medical education

• Knowledge explosion

• Cost, resource constraints

• Multiple stakeholders

• Demand for new paradigms

• Historical constraints on innovation

• Educated consumers/public

• Demand for equity and social justice» Barbara Gottlieb, MD, MPH

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Challenges for the medical profession

• Critical shortage of primary care providers

• Lack of accountability to larger societal concerns and needs

• Ethical concerns (conflict of interest)

• High cost, inefficiencies

• Varied outcomes

• Burn out» Barbara Gottlieb, MD, MPH

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Challenges for medical schools and other medical institutions

• Are we accountable to our neighbors and community?

• Are we adequately addressing health disparities/inequities and promoting social justice?

• Are we meeting the social contract?

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Service-learning – an educational experience in which students participate in

service activities that meet community needs within the framework of a course. Service-learning provides concrete opportunities to

learn new skills, think critically, test new roles, in settings that encourage risk-taking and reward competence. Service-learning also serves a broader agenda to promote

civic engagement. (APA, 2007)

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Service-Learning at UMMS

• Two week community/population health clerkship

• Uses service-learning pedagogy

• Selected examples:– Dukes County Health Council– Refugee and Immigrant Health– Worcester Division of Public Health– Oral Health

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Chris Gibson

Chris Klunk

Heather Mantyla

Riley McLean

Eric Van Bean

Hilary WhiteUniversity of Massachusetts

Graduate School of Nursing & School of Medicine

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1) Healthcare

2) Community Professionals

3) Parents and Adolescents

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The Youth Task Force and our Recommendations

“One important way to effect community change is

through the development of an active community anti-

drug coalition. Community anti-drug coalitions can and

do hold community-wide meetings, develop public

education campaigns, and attract sponsors for drug

abuse prevention strategies. To strengthen the impact of

these strategies on community drug problems, coalitions

should focus on implementing research-tested programs

and approaches.” NIDA website

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Youth Task Force (YTF)• Ensure community is aware of the YTF

existence • Correct public misperceptions

– Make the mission clearly known throughout the community

– Explain the goals for the organization– Safe Homes pledge clarification

• Be aware of cultural concerns– For example: Brazilian community, Wampanoag

community

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Quick Interventions

• Substance Abuse Hotline• Parent Directory• Ensure school-wide knowledge of Safe Rides

• Stay in touch with students from year to year and grade to grade to ensure you can keep them engaged in culturally appropriate activities.

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