Medical Students Engage with Local Community Needs: A Model for Service Learning
Danielle Liu, Katya Hanessian, Hyun Ah Park, Jayde Frederick, and Amy Hayton, M.D., Loma Linda University School of Medicine, Loma Linda, CA
The mission of Loma Linda University (LLU) Health is “to continue the teaching and healing ministry of Jesus Christ.” A core component of this mission is encouraging students to practice and value serving others. As a faith-based institution, LLU emphasizes following the example of Jesus, who Himself served others, even to the point of washing His disciples' feet (John 13); who taught love towards both brethren and enemies (Matthew 5); and who emphasized hospitality and generosity towards the less fortunate (Matthew 25). As the Christian faith teaches that all people are created in the image of God (Genesis 1), students at LLU are taught to treat everyone with hearts of service and utmost respect, especially as future physicians in a relative position of power.
The Healthy Neighborhood Projects (HNP) were a set of initiatives started by LLU medical students in 2010 which began in response to a 2010 census that identified San Bernardino as the second poorest city in the United States. Medical students at LLU felt compelled to address this issue and extend their support to the community. Since then, the Healthy Neighborhood Projects have represented student-led efforts to serve the San Bernardino community through tutoring, mentorship, medical assistance, and more. San Bernardino has since moved out of the top ten poorest cities, though nearly 20% of residents still live below the national poverty line. Service opportunities through both HNP and other local organizations (ie. Community Gardens, Community Health Education Workers, Hospital Based Community Health Workers) abound in the San Bernardino area, and Loma Linda has worked to integrate community service as a “concrete commitment” through a Service-Learning Project in LLU’s innovative service-learning curriculum.
We are proposing a panel to discuss this Service-Learning Project and how integration of similar programs may benefit medical education nationally.
Christian Physician Formation (CPF) is a foundational course co-led by the Schools of Religion and Medicine at LLU, designed to equip medical students with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to be well-rounded physicians who care holistically for people from all backgrounds, in alignment with the LLUH mission. This course guides students in integrating personal spiritual growth with professional development and compassion as they shape their identities as future physicians.
A key component of CPF is the Service-Learning Project, which encourages students to first actively engage with social determinants of health (SDOH) by participating in approved community service activities or educational events that raise awareness and educate students in SDOH. In groups of ten, the students then meet with leaders from one of five community programs (including the organizations listed above) that help to address needs in San Bernardino. This meeting provides an opportunity for students to learn about these organizations and to identify specific community needs. Students then collaborate with community leaders to design and implement initiatives tailored to these needs. Such initiatives may include educational workshops, volunteer opportunities, or the creation of informational materials. After their participation, students write a reflection paper on their experiences and then discuss how the project fostered their growth as future physicians. Community members are invited to these discussions for reciprocal learning.
After the project's completion, data was collected from medical students in the classes of 2025 and 2026 (CO2025 and CO2026, respectively) about participation and attitudes toward service learning. 367 responses were collected (191 from CO2025, 176 from CO2026.) The data indicated that most students are involved in projects providing care to the medically needy (72% from CO2025: 72%, 76% from CO2026) and believe that all medical students should be involved in community activities (64% from CO2025 and 72% from CO2026). As a result of the CPF course and required service learning, 89% of students from the CO2025 report being more likely to consider how a patient’s background (racial identity, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc.) impacts the patient’s attitude towards medical care. In addition, 63% of students from the CO2026 report an improvement in their motivation to engage in the community after the CPF course and required Service-Learning Project.
Overall, this initiative has fostered a deeper commitment to supporting underserved communities. Our data indicates that integrating service as a part of the medical school curriculum improves attitudes towards service, increases awareness of SDOH, and encourages active service in the community. Further steps in research may include an exploration of how this Service-Learning Project may change students’ perspectives on the role that physicians should have in their communities, as well as a longitudinal analysis of how these projects influence students’ community engagement practices during residency and beyond.
The Healthy Neighborhood Projects (HNP) were a set of initiatives started by LLU medical students in 2010 which began in response to a 2010 census that identified San Bernardino as the second poorest city in the United States. Medical students at LLU felt compelled to address this issue and extend their support to the community. Since then, the Healthy Neighborhood Projects have represented student-led efforts to serve the San Bernardino community through tutoring, mentorship, medical assistance, and more. San Bernardino has since moved out of the top ten poorest cities, though nearly 20% of residents still live below the national poverty line. Service opportunities through both HNP and other local organizations (ie. Community Gardens, Community Health Education Workers, Hospital Based Community Health Workers) abound in the San Bernardino area, and Loma Linda has worked to integrate community service as a “concrete commitment” through a Service-Learning Project in LLU’s innovative service-learning curriculum.
We are proposing a panel to discuss this Service-Learning Project and how integration of similar programs may benefit medical education nationally.
Christian Physician Formation (CPF) is a foundational course co-led by the Schools of Religion and Medicine at LLU, designed to equip medical students with the knowledge, skills, and values necessary to be well-rounded physicians who care holistically for people from all backgrounds, in alignment with the LLUH mission. This course guides students in integrating personal spiritual growth with professional development and compassion as they shape their identities as future physicians.
A key component of CPF is the Service-Learning Project, which encourages students to first actively engage with social determinants of health (SDOH) by participating in approved community service activities or educational events that raise awareness and educate students in SDOH. In groups of ten, the students then meet with leaders from one of five community programs (including the organizations listed above) that help to address needs in San Bernardino. This meeting provides an opportunity for students to learn about these organizations and to identify specific community needs. Students then collaborate with community leaders to design and implement initiatives tailored to these needs. Such initiatives may include educational workshops, volunteer opportunities, or the creation of informational materials. After their participation, students write a reflection paper on their experiences and then discuss how the project fostered their growth as future physicians. Community members are invited to these discussions for reciprocal learning.
After the project's completion, data was collected from medical students in the classes of 2025 and 2026 (CO2025 and CO2026, respectively) about participation and attitudes toward service learning. 367 responses were collected (191 from CO2025, 176 from CO2026.) The data indicated that most students are involved in projects providing care to the medically needy (72% from CO2025: 72%, 76% from CO2026) and believe that all medical students should be involved in community activities (64% from CO2025 and 72% from CO2026). As a result of the CPF course and required service learning, 89% of students from the CO2025 report being more likely to consider how a patient’s background (racial identity, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc.) impacts the patient’s attitude towards medical care. In addition, 63% of students from the CO2026 report an improvement in their motivation to engage in the community after the CPF course and required Service-Learning Project.
Overall, this initiative has fostered a deeper commitment to supporting underserved communities. Our data indicates that integrating service as a part of the medical school curriculum improves attitudes towards service, increases awareness of SDOH, and encourages active service in the community. Further steps in research may include an exploration of how this Service-Learning Project may change students’ perspectives on the role that physicians should have in their communities, as well as a longitudinal analysis of how these projects influence students’ community engagement practices during residency and beyond.