Operation Remote Immunity: exploring the impact of a service-learning elective in remote Indigenous communities

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Public Health
• Indigenous Health

Background:

• COVID-19 vaccine distribution in remote Northern Ontario Indigenous communities faced logistical challenges.
• The Northern Ontario School of Medicine University (NOSMU) partnered with Ornge to deliver vaccines to 31 fly-in communities.
• Medical learners participated in these deployments as service-learning electives, aligning with NOSMU's social accountability mandate.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between social accountability and medical learners' experiences.
• To understand the impact of service-learning electives in Northern Indigenous communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Main Methods:

• Eighteen Undergraduate and Postgraduate medical learners completed a 500-word reflective response post-placement.
• Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the qualitative data from the reflective responses.

Main Results:

• Two primary themes emerged: "confronting the realities of working in Indigenous communities" and "service-learning as a path to social accountability."
• Learners reported enhanced understanding of Indigenous health and culture.

Conclusions:

• Service-learning electives provide a unique opportunity for medical learners to engage with Indigenous communities and understand social determinants of health.
• This model of learning deepens medical knowledge and cultural sensitivity more effectively than traditional classroom education.
• The study underscores the value of service-learning in fostering social accountability among future physicians.