Distinction Track in Medicine and Social Impact

Overview

The Distinction Track in Medicine and Social Impact, established in collaboration with the School of Medicine, is designed to enhance students' understanding of health equity issues while promoting actionable change. This innovative program focuses on both professional and personal development, offering students a range of opportunities to cultivate their skills as effective change agents within the healthcare system. Utilizing a robust social impact framework, participants engage in thoughtful discussions, participate in hands-on projects, and collaborate on initiatives aimed at reducing health disparities.

Goals

• Introduce students to core principles of social impacts in medicine.
• Increase understanding of how personal and social identities intersect with health outcomes.
• Explore social issues in health by heightening student knowledge and skills in social awareness and cultural awareness as they relate to their future practice as physicians.

Program at a Glance

The program fosters a collaborative learning environment that encourages camaraderie and peer support among scholars. Through immersive experiences and the integration of artistic expression, scholars engage with essential frameworks that prepare them to incorporate these insights into their clinical practice and future careers as healthcare leaders.

Monthly Group Meetings: Scholars attend monthly sessions to discuss core materials on social impact in medicine. Discussions cover current and historical health disparities in the Louisville Metro area.

Self-Reflection Awareness: Through self-reflection activities, scholars explore personal identity, work on recognizing and addressing their own biases, and commit to health equity and advocacy practices.

Self and Content Reflection Activity

The "Unessay Projects" offer scholars the opportunity to engage with course content through creative expression. Rather than traditional essays, these projects encourage students to explore and reflect on the material in innovative ways. Scholars can use various forms of artistic expression, such as visual arts, multimedia, performance, or digital media, to deepen their understanding of the topics.