From the Dean’s Desk  |  Community Service Helps Cultivate the Humanity in Medicine

Through our robust Humanities in Medicine program, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine students develop a deeper connection to the human experience of illness and how that experience relates to the art of medicine. The curriculum helps them to become not only empathic physicians, but also creative and humanistic in their approach to caring for their patients.

Students embrace work in community settings to improve the health and well-being of those who are underserved and to become allies in the effort to eradicate healthcare disparities. A group of our students involved in community outreach routinely provide health screenings and education for residents of the Haven Home, a transitional shelter for women and children experiencing homelessness. The students also lead health education sessions for third, fourth and fifth graders at Bolton Elementary School in Cleveland.

I’m delighted to highlight a few more of the meaningful community efforts that our students have been involved in most recently, which you can read more about:

• Eight CCLCM students earned the 2023 Medical Student Service Leadership Project Grant from the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society (AΩA) for their Food as Medicine project, designed to bridge the gap between food insecurity and health for underprivileged patients. Read more about the group’s Food as Medicine project in “CCLCM Students Awarded Service Leadership Project Grant.”
• Five CCLCM students volunteered at the Men’s Health Challenge, a free event for local African American men. The students helped conduct health screenings and served as guides for the guests. Learn more in “When People Have the Means to Access Healthcare, They Will.”
• Five CCLCM students served on the planning committee for a recent global health conference on human trafficking, the focus of which was to increase awareness of human trafficking and equip healthcare providers to skillfully intervene when presented with a suspected victim. Read more about this important event in “Shedding Light on Human Trafficking: Insights from the 13th Annual Global Health Conference.”

We couldn’t be prouder of our students for their collective commitment, hard work and selflessness around serving others. Answers to health challenges can’t always be found inside the walls of a hospital. By working in the community, students discover resources, such as food pantries and low-cost prescription programs, they can leverage to not only address a person’s physical health, but also to help heal their spirit.

Bud Isaacson, MD

Executive Dean