Abstract
ObjectiveThis purpose of this report was to examine the perceptions of medical students about the strengths, limitations, and recommendations for improvement of the first known student-run HIV/AIDS educational campaigns in the Dominican Republic (DR), as they relate to the added value applied to their educational training.MethodsA retrospective review was conducted on evaluation reports completed by five medical students who coordinated the implementation of three annual HIV/AIDS educational campaigns in five DR communities, between 2012 and 2014. Thematic analysis was used to identify emerging themes related to perceived strengths, limitations, and recommendations for improvement and develop an acronym related to program strengths as value added to medical education.ResultsStudents highlighted that program strengths were the use of social media technology to facilitate communication and culture-based creativity to capture the attention of target audiences; and limitations were inadequate financial support and HIV-related cultural stigma, due to lack of disease knowledge and awareness or perceived contrasts between the federal system and faith-based community. Recommendations for program improvement, such as comprehensive event preparation and knowing the target audience, were described as key to maximizing the delivery of health messages.ConclusionsOur results highlighted that medical students gained expertise in the effective use of social media technology, culture-based creativity, and team synergy to disseminate HIV/AIDS health information across five DR communities. Students participated in these extracurricular community health campaigns, strengthening skills in communication, health advocacy, and leadership for their medical training. They served as human resources for health and can pave the way as future clinicians and indispensable health educators in local and national health collaborations.
Highlights
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is one of the “big three” infectious diseases that continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality across the world
A retrospective review was conducted on these Dominican Medical Student Organization (ODEM) evaluation reports, which were completed by five medical students who coordinated the implementation of three World AIDS Day (WAD) campaigns in five Dominican Republic (DR) communities, between 2012 and 2014
The WAD evaluation reports, which were completed by five medical students (1 male, 4 females), described their perceptions about strengths, limitations, and recommendations for improvement related to three WAD campaigns conducted in one rural community (Ingenio Santa Fe) in San Pedro de Macorís and four university communities (Gazcue, Herrera, Los Jardines, Zona Universitaria) in Santo Domingo
Summary
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is one of the “big three” infectious diseases that continues to cause significant morbidity and mortality across the world. The pandemic requires sustainable political financing and multi-disciplinary health collaborations to reduce cultural, legal, and social barriers and promote equal access to health services, prevention, treatment, and support programs. Agencies, such as United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Presidential AIDS Council (COPRESIDA), provide funding for HIV/AIDS education, research, and social support groups for DR residents. DR health collaborations, have not traditionally focused on medical education and training opportunities that aid in the delivery of educational programs and services to local communities. By emphasizing the key approaches of community mobilization and social media strategies in medical education [9], DR medical students can complement their academic learning about preventive medicine in the classroom with community training exercises that integrate medical and public health models
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