Doctors-to-be at the doorstep - comparing service-learning programs in an Asian medical school

Service-learning is a powerful, but underutilized, educational tool in Asian medical schools.

We compared the ability of two programs providing medical care to low-income populations (clinic-based versus home-based approach) to teach community medicine skills in an Asian medical school.

We conducted a cross-sectional study using a self-administered anonymized questionnaire on medical students who participated in the programs using the Fund for the-Improvement of Postsecondary Education Survey Instrument. Participants also gave an overall score for their learning experience in the programs.

Participation rates were 97.4% (760/780) and 95.8% (230/240) across the two programs. A majority of participants in either program felt that the experience helped them to improve in all domains surveyed. Regardless of whether one compared those who participated in either program or both programs, the home-based approach was superior at teaching communication skills, teamwork, identifying social issues, gaining knowledge, and applying knowledge. Improved knowledge on long-term management of chronic diseases (β = 1.25, 95% CI, 0.55-1.96) was strongly associated with the overall score for those participating in the home-based program.

Service-learning programs, in the Asian context, have potential educational value for medical students in a wide range of domains. The home-based approach is superior at teaching certain aspects of community care.