In a diverse and complex world where various groups in society are disconnected and young people struggle to find purpose, integrating community engagement into healthcare curricula offers a range of benefits.
For students, this holistic approach fosters a virtuous cycle of learning, growth and impact by addressing pressing societal needs while helping students understand diverse cultures and prepare for meaningful, impactful careers in healthcare.
For the community, engagement through health-oriented programmes helps to strengthen and empower individuals by improving health literacy and fostering trust and collaboration, with the latter being particularly important for underserved or marginalised groups who find accessibility to healthcare challenging. Over time, this also helps to addresses disparities in healthcare.
While community engagement is becoming increasingly recognised and encouraged in higher education, we have some way to go before these initiatives are universally implemented. Institutes of higher learning, especially those operating within the healthcare environment, are particularly well-placed to play an active role in these efforts.
Engaging communities
As a starting point, it is essential to be socially conscious and mindful of the diverse segments in society who may require tailored programmes to meet their unique needs. For example, programmes designed for the hearing impaired would need to focus on communication strategies and accessibility, while initiatives for differently-abled individuals could address mobility, healthcare and employment issues. In other words, relevance is key and a one-size-fits-all approach simply will not do.
With this in mind, a successful community engagement programme should include these elements to ensure its impact and sustainability:
> Clear objectives: The programme must have well-defined goals that align with both the community’s unique needs and the educational outcomes for students; these provide the necessary direction and focus so that the programme stays on track to achieve its intended goals.
> Community partnership: Collaborations with local organisations, leaders and other stakeholders are crucial to gain in-depth understanding about the specific needs of the community, thus ensuring its relevance.
> Student involvement: Active participation and hands-on involvement from students in planning, execution and reflection help to develop the essential skills and attitudes that are needed to understand community challenges and the impact they can make.
> Cultural sensitivity and inclusivity: Programmes must respect the diverse backgrounds of individuals within the community. This is particularly important when engaging underserved groups, such as migrants or individuals with disabilities.
> Sustainability: Initiatives should aim to create lasting, sustainable impact. This can be accomplished in different ways, such as building community capacity to continue these efforts independently or creating programmes that future student cohorts can sustain.
> Research generation: Data generated from surveys, pre- and post-assessments, focus groups or interviews turns real-world community projects into research opportunities. This contributes to the broader body of knowledge while empowering students to explore fresh solutions, thus bridging the gap between theory and practice, and creating opportunities for students to engage in impactful, publishable work.
Beyond classrooms
Community engagement provides healthcare students with invaluable learning opportunities that extend far beyond the classroom. Working directly with diverse communities allows students to gain firsthand insights into the social determinants of health and the complexities of delivering care in underserved settings.
This hands-on approach fosters empathy and a deeper appreciation of the challenges faced by communities, enabling students to grasp the importance of holistic, patient-centred care in a practical and impactful way.
Indeed, community engagement is a crucial and unique opportunity for students’ experiential learning and propels them directly into situations where they can apply their knowledge while honing their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Ultimately, incorporating community engagement universally into the curricula will help to open up a valuable gateway for students to be changemakers, fostering a generation of graduates who not only possess strong academic foundations but also developing future leaders with empathy and resilience, thus paving the way for a life of purpose.
Khoo Suan Phaik is a professor of oral pathology and oral medicine at IMU University and its dean of community engagement programmes, which serve as a bridge between the university, organisations and the broader community to drive social innovation for the public good and advocate for public policies that advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for a more just and humane society.
The views expressed here are the writer’s own.
