A Street Medicine Elective in Fostering Compassion and Professional Identity Development in Medical Students: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND

Learning how to apply compassion and empathy is a critical skill in medical education. The preclinical medical school curriculum traditionally emphasizes basic science without balanced care-oriented training. Many medical schools have made efforts to increase opportunities for compassion training. However, there are limited studies on the longitudinal impacts and clinical applicability following these interventions. The Zumbro Valley Medical Society Street Medicine elective introduced medical students to a person-centered approach to medicine, particularly for individuals experiencing homelessness, early in medical school.

OBJECTIVE

Explore the effects of the Street Medicine elective on medical students' clinical practice formation and professional identity development.

DESIGN

Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews conducted between June 2024 and April 2025.

PARTICIPANTS

Twenty-three medical students from Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine who participated in the Street Medicine elective were recruited by email and were enrolled in the study.

APPROACH: Interviews were coded and analyzed using a constant comparison method and group discussions with the Reflexive Thematic Analysis framework.

RESULTS

Through participation in the Street Medicine elective, medical students reported gaining critical interpersonal skills, enabling them to cultivate trust and relationships with individuals in the community. The elective also increased students' awareness of their own biases, and confidence in their technical skills and professional identities as future physicians. The experiences from the elective prompted students to critically analyze the dominant norms and values of the medical education and healthcare systems. Students recognized how the focus on science over people can prevent compassionate care.

CONCLUSION

The Zumbro Valley Medical Society Street Medicine elective provided compassion training for medical students, with lasting effects on students' skills and professional identities 2 years after they completed the elective. Students recognized and were motivated to challenge the systemic problems that impede patient-centered care.

CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.