Health Professional Students in Community Service: Insights from Trainees and Their Mentors

Objectives. To gain insights from the experiences of student health professionals working with agencies caring for the underserved. Methods. Five hundred and sixty-six (566) U.S. Albert Schweitzer Fellows from 90 professional schools in six sites participated in year-long mentored, entrepreneurial service and leadership development projects in community agencies. Focusing on their experiences, Fellows completed pre- and post-service surveys, and agency mentors completed a post-service survey about their experiences. Results. Fellows' confidence in 11 of 16 service-related skills increased, and their concerns about lack of knowledge, skills, experience, recognition, and mentoring as barriers to service decreased. Their concerns about time constraints increased. Agency mentors reported that 85% of Fellows' projects made significant contributions to their agencies or clients. Conclusions. An entrepreneurial, mentored service experience can have a positive impact on health professional students and may provide benefits to the communities served.