The Office of Medical Service-Learning instills in students the community service responsibilities that come with
being a physician.

Stephanie Jill Dollens and Marc Kohli have tackled some rigorous coursework in their brief medical educations
at the Indiana University School of Medicine. They've waded through rubble and picked up trash, scraped and painted weather-beaten houses, and planted flowers in hardscrabble lawns in bleak Indianapolis neighborhoods. Along the
way, they've learned that medicine is more than just diagnosing and treating patients.

Dollens and Kohli are among hundreds of medical students who are involved in community service projects coordinated through the Office of Medical Service-Learning (OMSL). The programs are designed to create awareness about community needs among first- and second-year students and to instill in them a sense of how best to respond to those needs. Participation in projects helps students understand the social and community contexts of health care, one of nine curriculum-based competencies IUSM students must master before they can place "MD" after their names.

"Students who volunteer for projects learn to be advocates not just for their patients' care but also for environmental issues that affect health care and its delivery, including family, socio-economic, psychological and legal factors," says Patricia Keener, MD, assistant dean for medical service-learning and clinical professor of pediatrics. "None of the OMSL projects are required of students. They take it upon themselves to improve their skills through voluntarism and, more important, to see the big picture of patients and their surroundings."

Since 1996, more than 800 students at the Indianapolis campus have rolled up their sleeves and clocked in about 11,300 hours for a range of service projects. Students at IUSM's other eight medical education centers also volunteer for local service projects. It involves free time - a precious commodity in the life of a medical student - and sometimes out-of-pocket expenses. But for students like Dollens, it's a labor of love.

"I've always enjoyed participating in community service," says Dollens, who plans to pursue a career in pediatrics. "It's time well spent and an excellent way to observe, listen and learn from others, and I believe this will make me a better physician."

OMSL projects have experienced measurable growth and popularity in the few years they have existed. Each project is created, developed and carried out by participating students. Success or failure rests squarely on the shoulders of the students. "All of the projects are directed by students; therefore, these projects only can continue through the direct involvement of students," notes Kohli.

For more information about the Office of Medical Service-Learning and its projects, visit its Web site at http://www.medicine.iu.edu/~omsl.