Vulnerable Populations Clinic Student Learning Experience Survey (VPCSLES)

Tiffany A. Pham

Jennifer K. Chou

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Phamm, Tiffany A., Chou, Jennifer, K.
Faculty / Advisor: Sheridan, Olivia
University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, Department of Preventive and Restorative Sciences

Introduction

At Penn Dental Medicine, the vulnerable populations honors program is a comprehensive care clinic for refugees, survivors of torture, asylum seekers, and survivors of intimate partner violence. There has been no study reviewing the VP clinic learning experience since its inception in 2019. As this is a relatively young program, there is evergreen discussion regarding its growth and evolution, but there has been no organized effort to determine the opinions and recommendations of the students in the program. The overall purpose of this study is to determine student perceptions of the clinic environment in order to identify areas of improvement and optimize outcomes for both patients and providers. The Vulnerable Populations Clinic Student Learning Experience Survey will be used and administered to current students in VP clinic to obtain qualitative data regarding their experiences. This survey has not been conducted yet as IRB approval has not yet been given, but the data and implications will be discussed as well as future recommendations for the program.

Methods

All student investigators and principal investigators completed CITI Training and will submit the full 32 question experience survey for IRB approval. Upon acceptance of the survey, student investigators will administer the survey to all participants in VP in the fall to spring of the 2021-2022 calendar year. The decision to take part in the study is voluntary and participants can choose not to participate or stop at any time. The survey responses will be de-identified and data will be aggregated to help support a needs assessment of the VP clinic.

Results

There are no results at this time as the study is not yet commenced nor concluded.

Conclusion

A survey will be submitted to the IRB and will be administered once approval is gained. Data will be anonymized, aggregated, and presented to the administration and faculty for quality improvement of the educational experiences of the honors students in the Vulnerable Populations clinic.