Service-Learning Through Community-Based Exercise Teaching Enhances Medical Students’ Exercise Knowledge, Counseling Confidence, and Habits

Abstract

Exercise is a pivotal tool in the prevention and management of chronic disease, a cornerstone of primary care. Yet, there is little formal exercise education in medical school and many medical students feel unprepared to effectively counsel patients about exercise. Since 2019, medical students in the Primary Care Program (PCP), a primary care-focused educational track, at the Keck School of Medicine (KSOM) of the University of Southern California (USC) have taught exercise classes to the local community as part of a service-learning experience. Students receive lectures on exercise from faculty and then deliver curated bilingual English/Spanish presentations and lead exercise classes for the community. Post participation in this program, students reported (1) increased knowledge of exercise principles, (2) increased predicted likelihood of counseling patients about exercise, (3) increased confidence in providing exercise counseling, and (4) intent to make positive changes in their own exercise habits. This curriculum provides a replicable lifestyle medicine model for other medical schools seeking to enhance exercise education and train the next generation of primary care physicians.