title: A first-year community-based service learning elective: design, implementation, and reflection.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Medical schools have increasingly begun to incorporate service learning practices into their curricula.
  
  
  METHODS
  As part of a community-based service learning elective, 7 first-year medical students designed and implemented a health behavior education program for residents of a women's substance abuse recovery facility. The resulting program, Start Small, Feel Better, emphasized setting and accomplishing small goals to promote healthy lifestyle modifications.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We present personal reflections from the students, impressions of the participants, and qualitative data on the short-term effects of this intervention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Start Small, Feel Better represents a model of how a service learning project could be put into practice and positively impact both medical students and the broader community.
authors.affiliation: University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, Kentucky 40536-0298, USA. njaver2@uky.edu
authors.forename: Nathan J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Averill
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sallee
authors.forename: Jennifer T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Jessica M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: McFarlin
authors.forename: Ashley A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Montgomery
authors.forename: Gretchen A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Burkhardt
authors.forename: Morgan D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Schulz-Burton
authors.forename: Carol L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Elam
mesh_terms: D018672:Community Health Planning; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D007629:Kentucky; D018794:Problem-Based Learning; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012577:Schools, Medical