title: How social accountability can be incorporated into an urban community-based medical education program: an Australian initiative.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Medical schools play a role in ensuring that their outcomes ultimately have positive effects on the health status of communities. We describe an initiative that translates this broad intent into meaningful activities that foster positive attitudes to social accountability among medical students in the context of an already full curriculum.
  
  
  METHODS
  Faculty members from an urban community-based medical education program undertook broad consultation with its community groups. Medical students then undertook activities designed to assist in the well-being of socio-economically disadvantaged adolescents through near-peer counselling and health education.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Early evaluation from medical students, secondary students, community organisations and faculty indicates that the activities undertaken to-date have been of value to stakeholders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This initiative is intended to develop one model for incorporating social accountability into the medical curriculum with sustainable activities that benefit the community and medical students. Further research and evaluation of the impact of this initiative on both the community group involved and on medical students is essential.
authors.affiliation: Flinders University School of Medicine, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mahoney
authors.forename: Linnea
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boileau
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Floridis
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Abi-Abdallah
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services; D001315:Australia; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000941:ethics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D011204:Poverty Areas; D016730:Program Development; D012941:Social Responsibility; D019037:Urban Health Services