title: Teaching social accountability by making the links: qualitative evaluation of student experiences in a service-learning project.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many medical students come into medicine with altruistic motives; few carry this altruism into their practice. As a result rural, remote and international areas are underserved by the medical community. Teaching social accountability may help students remain altruistic and encourage work in underserved areas. Making The Links (MTL) is a project designed to teach medical students the social aspects of medicine via service-learning.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the study was to explore student reflections on their experiences during the MTL program.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative data analysis was conducted using structured open-ended written questionnaires. Fourteen students, representing three student cohorts, participated in the study. Data was collected between 2005 and 2007.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six themes emerged from qualitative data analysis. (1) relationships, (2) social determinants of health in real life, (3) community development, (4) interdisciplinarity, (5) linking health and communities, and (6) personal learning. Themes reflected the opportunities and challenges experienced by the students during the MTL project. Students reported that MTL was an essential component of their medical training.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MTL is a promising model for using service-learning to teach social accountability in medical training.
authors.affiliation: College of Health Science, University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
authors.forename: Ryan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Meili
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fuller
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lydiate
mesh_terms: D000533:Altruism; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007858:Learning; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D015397:Program Evaluation; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012577:Schools, Medical; D012941:Social Responsibility; D013337:Students, Medical / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*