Novel Program Connects Medical Students with Startups Focused on Social Determinants of Health

Understanding health equity is critical for the development of patient-centered physicians, but few avenues exist for medical students to participate in experiential learning related to social determinants of health (SDOH).

To create and evaluate the PennHealthX SDOH Accelerator Program, which pairs students with health equity startups.

The program matches medical students at our institution with startups focused on SDOH for voluntary, part-time internships.

Medical students of all years are eligible to apply. Startups are typically early-stage (≤ 10 employees).

Two pre-clinical students lead the program. Startups are sourced via alumni networking, partnerships with venture capital firms, and cold outreach. Startups and students apply and are matched based on project goals and student backgrounds/skills. Upon completion, feedback is gathered through open-ended interviews with all students.

Twenty medical students were matched with 11 startups. In post-program interviews, students expressed high satisfaction. Students specifically valued the opportunity to learn about SDOH in a hands-on and solution-oriented way.

This program gives students the opportunity to impact their communities and learn about addressing SDOH with innovative solutions. We are continuing to build the program at our institution and expand its impact to other medical schools.