Building connection and resident understanding of local resources through community engagement

INTRODUCTION: Throughout graduate medical education (GME), it is crucial for learners to not only develop the skills necessary to manage a wide variety of medical conditions, but also to foster personal development and to gain a deeper understanding of the complex and multifaceted needs of our patients. We often refer patients to community sites to address needs such as homelessness, hunger, and domestic violence; however, we frequently make these referrals with only a superficial understanding of what each resource entails. 

METHODS: To address this issue, our department integrated a two-day Community Engagement Retreat into our curriculum. Twenty-two first-year residents participated in small group visits to three or four community organizations. There, residents engaged with community workers and the public to learn about the services each program offers. This was followed by a session of focused reflection and discussion on how to integrate this new knowledge into our care for patients in the emergency department. At the conclusion of the experience, residents completed an anonymous survey with a response rate of 77.3%. 

RESULTS: The results suggest that participants found the sessions highly useful, with 98.6% of residents reporting that they "agreed" or "strongly agreed" that the experiences at the community sites would better allow them to care for patients. They further stated that the program was one of the most impactful elements of their training and highly recommended it to future learners. 

CONCLUSION: This initiative demonstrates the importance and utility of a novel, structured community engagement to begin to address this deficiency in GME and improve patient care.