Introduction to Medical Profession: Social Determinants of Health (2020 Faculty Showcase)

Jeff Brosco, Professor of Clinical Pediatrics; Kim Reynolds, Assistant Professor of Clinical; Laura Chamorro Dauer, Assistant Professor of Clinical; Sabrina Taldone, Assistant Professor of Clinical; Roderick King, Senior Associate Dean of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement, Director of the MD/MPH Program, and Associate Professor, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

Social determinants of health are the social conditions that adversely influence health and well being of populations. In the first two weeks of medical school at the University of Miami Miller School of medicine, 200 first-year medical students are immersed in a robust curriculum that addresses themes including social determinants of health, which in turn lays the foundation for racial and social justice discussions. In this academic year, in the midst of the COVID pandemic, educational objectives were achieved virtually (i.e. Zoom) through lectures, small group discussions, panels of community members, and independent learning activities. Educators across disciplines, from Medicine to History, provided the depth and breadth of content to reinforce and interleave key learning points. Theoretical frameworks were applied to our local Miami community, facilitating student engagement among our students and a sense of belonging. Student evaluations reflected high levels of satisfaction. This introductory curriculum plays a key role in achieving our medical school curriculum mission: Empower to transform lives and inspire to serve our global community. Despite the challenges to live learning, we successfully delivered this critical introductory component to our curriculum through these virtual and hybrid sessions.

Faculty Showcase Website