Purpose of the Service Distinction Track:

To encourage, support, and recognize medical students who work extensively with medically underserved, marginalized, and rural populations during their medical school careers. This track focuses on the following medical education program core competency and medical education program objective (SBP01):

System Based Practice (SBP). Develop a system-based practice approach to patient care as manifested by actions that demonstrate an awareness of, and responsiveness to, the larger context of health care. This includes developing skills to effectively call on system resources to provide optimal health.

• SBP01 Understand factors that affect access to and delivery of healthcare and the patient-doctor relationship including cultural, environmental, socioeconomic, policies, financing and healthcare systems.

Service Distinction Track Learning Objectives:

• Gain experience with the specific health-related needs of an underserved patient population
• Apply knowledge and skills gained in medical school to the service of an underserved patient population
• Apply scholarly methods to service work

Program Benefits

Participation in the SDT program will help students:

• pursue volunteering with underserved patient populations during medical school.
• focus underserved patient experiences in a meaningful way by applying academic theory to actual practice.
• learn to apply scholarly methods to service work.
• become self-directed learners by working in collaboration with communities on health care issues.
• be recognized for work with underserved patient populations during medical school.

Service Distinction Track activities will be noted in the Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE) letter. Completion of Service Distinction Track participation will be noted on the student's transcript and submitted for inclusion in the award section of the graduation program.

Contact Information

If you are interested in learning more about the Service Distinction Track please contact the Service Distinction Track Director:

Samantha-Ziemba@uiowa.edu 
1160A1 MERF
(319) 335-6711