Weber Lindsey Catherine, Ortega Joanna Claire, Bastea Silvia, Robitz Rachel A, Mumma Bryn Elissa
Third-Year Medical Student, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine.
Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine.
MedEdPORTAL. 2021 May 12;17:11154. doi: 10.15766/mep_2374-8265.11154.
Service learning can teach medical students about the social determinants of health and prepare them to better serve marginalized populations, while people in the sex trade can serve as effective educators for their peers and health professions trainees. However, service-learning projects involving medical students and people in the sex trade are currently rare.
We modified a curriculum from an author's prior institution to provide a unique service-learning experience for medical students and peer health education for women in the sex trade in a new city and new context. Medical students partnered with a local community organization to implement a 10-week course on physical and mental health for women in the sex trade. Coled by a medical student and a woman who had utilized the community partner's services, the course's instructional methods included in-class demonstrations, group discussion, games, and worksheets.
Ten women participated in the course, and six medical students facilitated its implementation. The participants demonstrated increased knowledge in physical and mental health topics and reported being more comfortable speaking with health care providers. The coleaders developed skills and confidence to pursue additional leadership opportunities. The medical student coleader gained a better understanding of addiction and was more prepared to work with patients with substance use disorders.
This mutual learning experience was a valuable health education opportunity for a local underserved community and helped medical students understand the barriers women in the sex trade face when seeking health care and how physicians can better meet their needs.
服务学习可以让医学生了解健康的社会决定因素，并使他们做好准备，更好地为边缘化人群服务，而性交易从业者可以成为对同行和健康专业学员有效的教育者。然而，目前涉及医学生和性交易从业者的服务学习项目很少。
我们修改了一位作者之前所在机构的课程，以便在一个新的城市和背景下，为医学生提供独特的服务学习体验，并为性交易女性提供同伴健康教育。医学生与当地一个社区组织合作，为性交易女性开设了一门为期10周的身心健康课程。该课程由一名医学生和一名曾使用过该社区合作伙伴服务的女性共同授课，教学方法包括课堂演示、小组讨论、游戏和工作表。
10名女性参加了该课程，6名医学生协助课程实施。参与者在身心健康主题方面的知识有所增加，并表示与医疗服务提供者交谈时更加自在。共同授课者培养了技能和信心，以寻求更多的领导机会。担任共同授课者的医学生对成瘾有了更好的理解，并且更有准备与患有物质使用障碍的患者合作。
这种相互学习的经历对于当地一个未得到充分服务的社区来说是一次宝贵的健康教育机会，同时也帮助医学生了解性交易女性在寻求医疗保健时所面临的障碍，以及医生如何更好地满足她们的需求。
