School of Medicine and Health Sciences Poster Presentations

Designing a Simulated Clinic to Supplement Recruitment and Leadership Training

Document Type

Poster

Abstract Category

Education/Health Services

Keywords

free clinic, student clinic, education, simulation, education.

Publication Date

Spring 5-1-2019

Abstract

Every year, our clinic faces challenges with training new volunteers in time for the official handoff of clinic operations and maintaining patient care at the current standard. Many student-run free clinics experience similar challenges given the intensity of medical school education and the limited terms of clinic leadership. Taking on this role can be overwhelming as many students have been to fewer than two clinic nights themselves prior to the leadership transition. The strengths of the training included aspects specific to our clinic, including blood draw protocol, the referral process within our Patient Navigator program, and how a clinic night flows. Weaknesses to the training included broader healthcare concepts, such as a lack of increased understanding of what the overall role of a primary care provider is and limited improvement in conceptualizing healthcare delivery in an underserved setting. Overall, the main goal of the mock clinic night was focused on specifics. Additionally, students were also initially more comfortable with these broader concepts as opposed to the specific skills of the GW Healing Clinic which could have contributed to the overall limited improvement in those weaknesses. This event was overall successful and was able to be done with limited resources. It was a great ways to engage volunteers and help them to feel more comfortable in clinic during their initial shifts.

Open Access

1

Comments

Presented at Research Days 2019.

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Designing a Simulated Clinic to Supplement Recruitment and Leadership Training

Every year, our clinic faces challenges with training new volunteers in time for the official handoff of clinic operations and maintaining patient care at the current standard. Many student-run free clinics experience similar challenges given the intensity of medical school education and the limited terms of clinic leadership. Taking on this role can be overwhelming as many students have been to fewer than two clinic nights themselves prior to the leadership transition. The strengths of the training included aspects specific to our clinic, including blood draw protocol, the referral process within our Patient Navigator program, and how a clinic night flows. Weaknesses to the training included broader healthcare concepts, such as a lack of increased understanding of what the overall role of a primary care provider is and limited improvement in conceptualizing healthcare delivery in an underserved setting. Overall, the main goal of the mock clinic night was focused on specifics. Additionally, students were also initially more comfortable with these broader concepts as opposed to the specific skills of the GW Healing Clinic which could have contributed to the overall limited improvement in those weaknesses. This event was overall successful and was able to be done with limited resources. It was a great ways to engage volunteers and help them to feel more comfortable in clinic during their initial shifts.