title: A senior elective: promoting health in underserved communities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A fourth-year service-learning elective was developed to teach medical students about the social, economic, and culturalfactors that affect health and health-seeking behavior
  
  
  METHODS
  The elective provides students with didactic material and educational experiences in public housing sites in the community. Students work closely with community members to implement a community health care intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Students respond to 10 reflection questions that assess their understanding of the important community factors that affect health.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Reflection responses demonstrate that the course has challenged assumptions, dispelled stereotypes, and enhanced awareness of the role of socialfactors in maintaining health.
authors.affiliation: Center for Healthy Communities, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 53226, USA. mwolff@mcw.edu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Young
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maurana
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education*; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology; D014481:United States