by Roya Hassanzadeh and Jenna Mollaney<\/p>\n
Our ageing and diverse population requires doctors to understand the broad sociocultural context of health, and to work collaboratively with local communities to address health needs and reduce our health inequities. During year 3, as part of their 10-week Medicine in the Community Apprenticeship (MICA), students complete a Community Action Project (CAP). This provides an excellent opportunity for our medical students to learn important skills in health improvement and making a real difference on the ground with communities while on clinical placements.<\/p>\n
Working in pairs to assess local community needs and deliver and evaluate a sustainable healthcare intervention using quality improvement principles, students are encouraged to engage with members of the community (including patients, community groups, third sector organisations and health professionals). The projects are peer-assessed at a CAP presentation morning at the end of the placement where students present a poster in their pair detailing their project to their peers and then mark each other\u2019s work.<\/p>\n
Examples of CAP projects include a pair of students who recognised the ethnic diversity of their local population, which meant that local patients were unable to understand any health-related literature which was being provided by the doctors due to their limited English language. After engaging the local clinical commissioning group (CCG) and patient groups, they developed an online website where patient condition leaflets were translated into variety of languages. The initiative has been so successful, neighbouring areas are interested in the students working with their communities.<\/p>\n