Community-based advocacy training: applying asset-based community development in resident education

Area of Science:

• Community Pediatrics
• Medical Education
• Public Health Advocacy

Background:

• Traditional medical training often focuses on deficits, potentially limiting physicians' community engagement.
• Effective community advocacy requires skills beyond clinical practice, including partnership building and asset identification.
• The Communities and Physicians Together (CPT) program was established to address these gaps in pediatric residency education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the novel Communities and Physicians Together (CPT) curriculum.
• To evaluate the impact of the CPT program on pediatric residents' attitudes and roles as community advocates.
• To highlight CPT's unique asset-based community development model in medical education.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal curriculum integrating three two-week blocks annually for pediatric residents.
• Partnership development with community members and organizations using Asset-Based Community Development principles.
• Qualitative evaluation of resident experiences and attitudinal shifts regarding community roles.

Main Results:

• Residents developed longitudinal relationships with assigned communities.
• The program successfully shifted residents' attitudes toward their roles as pediatricians in the community.
• Community members served as primary faculty, enhancing the learning experience.

Conclusions:

• The CPT program offers a unique service-learning model emphasizing strengths and capacity building.
• This asset-based approach contrasts with traditional medical models focused on needs.
• CPT effectively prepares pediatric residents for impactful community advocacy and partnership.