Service Learning

Over the course of a medical student’s training and career, he or she will have the opportunity to get to know many new communities and participate in service learning. At UCCOM, the Physician and Society courses introduce students to various neighborhoods in the Greater Cincinnati area and teaches them how to find information about the health status of the communities where they and their patients live. The focus is for students to learn about the determinants of health of patients and communities, by improving the health of a community with a community partner.
As a part of this process, student groups start a partnership with a community partner during the introductory block each August and work in conjunction with them through the following March. There are fifteen community partners for students to choose from, some of which are more closely tied to the neighborhood they are in, and some that serve the broader community. The groups work with their chosen community partner to implement a program improvement or health promotion intervention.
In service-learning, the goal is to not only meet the community partner’s objectives but the students’ learning objectives as well. To achieve this, each student group project may look different based on the needs of the community/community partner. Some projects may be more program assessment /exploring a question while others may be more program implementation. The goal is that the student partnerships with the community will build capacity from year to year and offer opportunities for sustainability so that students and community partners can build on their work within the community.
Our Community Partners
Ohio Locations
University Health Services, People Working Cooperatively, MEAC, Mercy Neighborhood Ministries, Riverview East Health Center, Santa Maria, Freestore Foodbank, OTR Community Housing, Community Matters, Shelterhouse, Healing Center and Su Casa
Kentucky Locations
Brighton Center, Center for Great Neighborhoods and NKY Health Department
Contact Us
Office ofMedical Education
Medical Sciences Building Room G453 - G456
231 Albert Sabin Way
PO Box 670520
Cincinnati, OH 45267-0520
Mail Location: 0520
Phone: 513-558-1795
Fax: 513-558-4949