HIPHOP: Community Health Initiative

Community Health Education Collaboration (CHEC) workshops are integrated into the Community Engaged Service-Learning Course (CESL), a part of the first and second-year medical school curriculum. Pre-clerkship medical students will provide workshops at various community sites in New Brunswick and beyond. Some of these sites include Big Brothers Big Sisters, Dina’s Dwelling (permanent housing for domestic violence survivors, women, and their children), and Youth Advocate Programs, among many others. HIPHOP-CHI student leaders will first provide an orientation for the student volunteers. Then, these medical students will work with our community partners to develop and present two to three workshops per semester that meet current needs. Past presentation topics have included, but are not limited to, substance abuse, tobacco usage, nutrition, exercise, and mental/ sexual health. Community partners will also continuously evaluate these workshops to ensure presentations grow and change right along with our ever-evolving community. 

Transitions of Care is a Patient Centered Medicine-Health Equity (PCM-HE) first-year medical school clinical selective. Students will participate in clinical visits at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, conduct social needs screening, provide community resources to patients in collaboration with the medical team, and make follow-up calls. Students also attend Medical Teaching Service Interdisciplinary Rounds.

Community Health Navigation (CHN) is a Patient Centered Medicine-Health Equity (PCM-HE) first-year medical school clinical selective that aims to immerse students in the real-world challenges faced by patients. In this program, students participate in clinical visits, conduct social needs screenings, and connect patients with community resources in collaboration with the medical team and community health workers at the Eric B. Chandler Health Center. Students will also follow up with patients while receiving firsthand experience in advocating for patients.  

Some experiences that students gain through this program include:  

• Exposure to interdisciplinary healthcare teams  

• Greater understanding of socioeconomic needs and learning to advocate for patients who screen positive for social needs  

• Direct interaction with the New Brunswick community 

Students in this program collaborate closely with the program director and community partner to both support current initiatives and develop new ones. New initiatives programs, including Girls Exploring Medicine and Stem (GEMS), Juvenile Detention Center (JDC), and Career Cafes, are integrated into the Community Engagement Service-Learning Course (CESL) course as part of the first- and second-year curriculum. Each of these programs is designed to engage and support underrepresented youth in the surrounding communities. Additionally, the Road to Success Tutoring program, while not part of the CESL curriculum, provides medical students with the opportunity to tutor and mentor local youth through individualized academic support.  

HIPHOP-CHI medical student volunteers with students at a Girls Exploring Medicine and STEM (GEMS) after-school session

Project Outreach offers numerous short-term volunteer opportunities to medical, physician assistant, social work, masters, and public health students, as well as Robert Wood Johnson Medical School faculty and staff throughout the entire school year. Participants can volunteer with local organizations such as the Food Pantry, Home Safety Checks, and Interfaith-RISE to distribute food, assist with blood pressure screenings, perform teddy bear check-ups within the community, and much more. Project Outreach also organizes student involvement in these programs through the curriculum's Community Engaged Service Learning (CESL) component.  

A series of didactic sessions are offered through the medical school, many in partnership with student organizations at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and/or in collaboration with community leaders from the greater New Brunswick area. These sessions focus on pressing issues affecting underserved populations and provide students with valuable insights into community-centered care. Students who fulfill the requirements for the ICCUCE and/or SIRCH electives will receive transcript notation. Additionally, completion of the SIRCH elective is a prerequisite for eligibility to pursue Distinction in Service to the Community (DISC).  

HIPHOP-CHI student volunteers at a Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) Denim Day lecture hosted by ICCUCE/SIRCH.

Students in this program are trained to lead health literacy workshops related to exercise, nutrition, heart-healthy behaviors, heart-related conditions, healthy habits and lifestyles, and preventative care to adults learning English. The program was developed to provide a collaborative forum in which students and community members could interact while strengthening proficiency in each other's language, understanding of their varied cultures, and how these experiences may enhance overall health care relationships for future physicians and patients. LISTOS' current community partners include the New Brunswick Free Public Library, the Harmony Family Success Center, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. 

This service elective includes several community-centered advocacy and support programs and/or collaborations. Examples include:

• Students attend the Robert Wood Johnson AIDS Program team meetings to learn from the interdisciplinary team about caring for this patient population. 
• Students participate in an ICCUCE lecture to gain insight into at-risk populations. 
• Students volunteer to conduct blood pressure screenings for community members with I-Rise's Global Grace Vans.

Students in this program are trained to present two sessions of interactive workshops on topics relating to HIV/AIDS, sexual health, and healthy relationships at local public high schools.