title: Engagement of undergraduate medical students of paediatrics in special schools for children with disabilities.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Over 200 000 Australian children suffer significant disability. How should medical students be prepared for this challenge? Community engagement has become fundamental to education, but there is little experience with engagement of undergraduates with children with disabilities. This paper reviews such experience in Western Sydney.
  
  
  METHODS
  Since 2011, UWS paediatric students have been rotated through local special schools for 2 weeks each term. In 2013, feedback was solicited in a questionnaire from the 129 students involved that year with 109 being returned. It had been solicited from school staff and parents in formal and informal communication from the beginning.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fourteen per cent of students reported no prior exposure to disabled children: 55% only chance, 24% regular and 7% extensive. Thirty-seven per cent reported greatly increased understanding: 39% moderately, 15% somewhat, 7% a little and 2% not. Forty-three per cent declared understanding of impact on family greatly increased: 40% moderately, 11% somewhat, 5% a little and 1% not. Twenty-seven per cent declared greatly increased knowledge of services, 43% moderately, 25% somewhat, 4% a little and 1% none. Fifteen per cent declared greatly increased preparation for caring, 44% moderately, 30% somewhat, 6% a little and 5% none. Thirty-six per cent declared greatly increased understanding of role of schools, 30% moderately, 20% somewhat, 10% a little, and 2% none and 2% cannot recall. School staff and parents reported very favourably. Problems involved professionalism in students and some fatigue in parents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The engagement has been successful. Professionalism has been emphasised, and rotations have been designed to prevent fatigue.
authors: School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Whitehall
authors: School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Rebecca
authors: R
authors: McCulloch
authors: School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Matthew
authors: M
authors: Edwards
authors: School of Medicine, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors: Jenny
authors: J
authors: McDonald
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D019988:Children with Disabilities; D006801:Humans; D009517:New South Wales; D010372:Pediatrics; D024382:Professional Role; D012574:Schools; D013337:Students, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: community engagement; medical students; paediatric disabilities