Service Learning Opportunities
Upstate Medical University offers service-learning courses to all students. Please browse below for courses available to students in your college.
| Elective Name & Code | Credits | Contact | Course Description | |
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Hospice Volunteering INTD9425 |
1 |
Dr. Setla |
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Hospice volunteers are trained to help patients/families cope with issues at the end of life. Volunteers will learn how to assist with the physical, emotional, and spiritual struggles of this unique time. Once trained, volunteers will be matched with families based on interests, experience, and availability. Typical activities would be: Visit, watch TV, read to patients, grocery shopping, mowing lawns, childcare, sitting with patient’s so family can run errands, driving patients or families to appointments or to visit loved ones. This is a rich opportunity to assist those in your community who are living with dying, and to learn about the psych-social-spiritual aspects of the journey towards the end of life.
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Food as Medicine MDCN2230 |
Details pending. |
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Students learn about food insecurity and can choose to either shadow a dietition or choose to do community engagement surrounding food, such as spending time a food pantry or community garden.
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Global Health Elective - Enlace Program PRVM6424 |
4 |
Simone Seward, MPH SewardS@upstate.edu |
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The Enlace program focuses on rural health and cultural immersion in Nicaragua. While at Upstate, students will participate in predeparture travel training which will include modules on cultural competency, safety and logistics, ethical decision making, social determinants of health, and issues in global health. Once in country, students will be placed with host families, attend an orientation, and then will travel to different community sites each day to work with local healthcare providers. These community sites are located in El Sauce, Ocotal, and Leon. Each work day will be 9 hours (typically from 7am to 3 pm) spent with local doctors and nurses in different communities. Translators are provided by Enlace. Under the supervision of the local physician, students will assist with procedures ranging from taking vital signs, maternal and child health visits, cancer screenings, chronic disease management, and other clinical tasks. Evening and weekends will consist of cultural immersion trips and cultural classes. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in teaching English classes on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Upon return to the US, students will be expected to complete a reflective final project.
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Global Health Elective - AMOS Health and Hope PRVM6425 |
4 |
Simone Seward, MPH SewardS@upstate.edu |
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The AMOS program focuses on rural health and cultural immersion in Nicaragua. AMOS Health and Hope seeks to take action to help address the problems of poverty, disease and preventable deaths by improving the health and wellbeing. Programs are based on community-identified needs and build upon community strengths. The goal of this elective is to improve the health of impoverished communities by working alongside them in health, education, and development. While at Upstate, students will participate in pre-departure travel training and cultural competency training. Preparation includes submitting a detailed written explanation of the proposed project including a realistic time table and any special parameters unique to the international site. Once in country students will be placed with host families, attend an orientation, and then will travel to different community sites each day to work with local health care providers. Each word day will be 8 hours spent with local physicians, nurses, or public health workers in different communities. Under the supervision of the local physician, students will assist with procedures ranging from taking vital signs, maternal and child health visits, cancer screenings, chronic disease management, and other clinical tasks. They will also have the opportunity to be involved in public health initiatives such as building clean water systems and providing health education. Participants will join the AMOS supervision team physicians, public health workers and nurses to travel to hard to reach areas to support local health promoters. (Urban Clinical Rotation is 4.5 weeks; Rural Rotation is 5 weeks).
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Global Health Elective - Ecuador Medical PRVM6426 |
2 |
Christina Lupone, MPH LuponeC@upstate.edu |
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The Ecuador Centers for InterAmerican Studies Medical-Spanish Immersion program aims to promote language and cultural competence, and to enhance the skills of health service professionals and consequently improve overall health care. The program focuses on Medical Spanish, cultural, and public health system immersion training. While at Upstate students will participate in pre-departure and cultural competency training. Once in country, students are based in the city of Cuenca, Ecuador for two weeks of intensive medical Spanish language training and are placed with a local Ecuadorian homestay. In classroom training consists of 20 hours of grammar and 20 hours of conversational Spanish. Students are exposed to the public health and medical system in Ecuador through visits to local hospitals, medical schools, rural health programs, and traditional healers. Each work day will be 8 hours (4 hours in classroom and 4 hours spent with local doctors, nurses, or public health professionals in the community). Weekend trips will consist of cultural immersion trips (one trip per weekend). Upon return students will be expected to complete a reflective final project and reflection module. Application must be approved by Global Health office to participate. Additional tuition for the Medical-Spanish program is
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Global Health Elective - Ecuador Infectious PRVM6428 |
4 |
Chrstina Lupone, MPH LuponeC@upstate.edu |
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This course can be combined with the Medical Spanish Immersion course above for students who do not already have advanced Spanish language skills. Students will travel to Machala, Ecuador where they will integrate into a team of investigators conducting research on infectious disease, climate, and public health through Upstate's Institute for Global Health and Translational Science. Student projects will depend on the individual's skills and prior professional experience. Students will spend any where from four weeks to one year in the field. Upon return students will be expected to complete a reflective final project and work with the Institute for Global Health and Translational Science faculty to disseminate research results from field work. Students must have moderate to advanced Spanish speaking skills. Application and research proposal must be approved by Global Health Office to participate.
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Refugee Health in Our Community PRVM6429 MPHP629 |
2-3 |
Dr. Shaw ShawAn@upstate.edu |
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This elective provides a unique opportunity to be paired with a newly resettled refugee family in Syracuse, partner with community agencies, and engage with students across disciplines (medicine, public health, social work, health professions) between Upstate and Syracuse University. Students will have classroom and community experiences that allow them to better understand medical, social, and cultural issues that impact the health of the local refugee population we serve. These partnerships will provide opportunity for advocacy on behalf of a vulnerable population we all strive to support.
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| Elective Name & Code | Credits | Contact | Course Description |
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Service Learning and Community Health PRVM6423 |
2 |
Simone Seward, MPH SewardS@upstate.edu |
Requires previous volunteer experience and application. This course integrates meaningful community service with instruction on basic principles of public health to improve the health status of the community. This course allows students to serve as Service Learning Leaders at specific service learning sites and develop skills in community engagement while affording community partners an avenue to address significant needs within their organization or programs. The course utilizes a reflective process to enrich the students' learning experience and explore civic responsibilities. The course meets once a month for 2 hours and runs from August through March. |
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Physicians and Social Responsibility 1 CBHX2408 |
1 |
Dr. Dwyer DwyerJa@upstate.edu |
Open to MS1s and MS2s. This is the first of a two-elective sequence that establishes a critical, analytic component in conjunction with selected health-related service activities, to provide a robust, service-learning experience for medical students to develop their understanding of and commitment to physician's social responsibility. Course content addresses a variety of topics, such as fundamentals of health systems and financing; impacts of socioeconomic disparities in health and illness; cultural diversity in clinical practice; health outcomes; advocacy skills; structure and effectiveness of the safety net; global health inequities; environmental issues in health. Exact topics are modified from year to year. |
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Physicians and Social Responsibility 2 CBHX2410 |
2 |
Dr. Faber-Langendoen FaberLaK@upstate.edu |
Open to MS2s who have completed PSR1. Physicians and Social Responsibility II is the second part of a two-elective sequence that establishes a critical, analytic component in conjunction with selected health-related service activities to provide a robust, service-learning experience for medical students to develop their understanding of and commitment to physicians' social responsibility. Students will critically analyze their service experiences in light of the fundamental concepts discussed in PSRI Some content related to student experiences will be presented in a more advanced way than in PSR I (e.g. fundamentals of health systems/financing, impacts of socioeconomic disparities in health and illness; advocacy skills, structure and effectiveness of the safety net; global health inequities). A substantial portion of the seminar time will be spent with students presenting their critical analyses of issues arising in their service sites. |
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Introduction to Rural Health FAMP1646 |
1.5 |
Dr. Roseamelia RoseameC@upstate.edu |
Runs concurrently over the MS1 and MS2 preclinical years. This elective is required for all medical students admitted to SUNY Upstate College of Medicine through the Rural Medical Scholars Program. This elective introduces basic principles related to comprehensive rural health care. The format of the course is interactive, allowing students to learn about their roles as future health care professionals, and pass on enthusiasm for rural practice to a new generation of future small town practitioners. Students will be exposed to specific rural health issues through small group case discussions and learn about different rural communities across NYS. Students will extrapolate from their medical school knowledge to teach a clinical case to a team of high school students, preparing their teams for a case competition each Spring. |
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Rural Immersion Week FAMP1651 |
1 |
Dr. Roseamelia RoseameC@upstate.edu |
Runs for one week the summer before MS2. This elective is suggested for students admitted to the College of Medicine through the Rural Medical Scholars Program. Students train in inpatient and out-patient community offices in host communities, working side-by-side with local physicians. Students meet with community leaders from various agencies including: local business owners, state assembly, public health, hospital administration, behavioral health and hospice. Students provide mentorship to high school students and are expected to spend a half day giving back to the community through scheduled volunteer activities. |
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Diabetes Special Elective MDCN2229 |
2 |
Dr. Weinstock WeinstoR@upstate.edu |
Open to MS1s and MS2s. The Diabetes Special Elective is designed to promote the formation of a relationship between a medical student in the preclinical years of training, an attending physician, and a patient with poorly controlled diabetes. Throughout the duration of the course, medical students will attend office visits and routinely communicate with patients and their attending on a weekly or biweekly basis, to help improve patient self-management and glycemic control. By the end of the course, students should understand the importance of empathy and support in a patient-provider relationship and the impact of a chronic illness on all aspects of a patient’s life. |
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Miracle Continuity Elective OBGY3622 |
2 |
Dr. Wallis WallisJ@upstate.edu |
Runs concurrently over the MS1 and MS2 preclinical years. The Miracle Continuity Elective is a fifteen-month elective opportunity providing both academic and field experiences for first year medical students who desire to gain information, insights and experiences regarding:
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| Elective Name & Code | Credits | Contact | Course Description |
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Rural Medicine Community Health AI FAMP1652 |
4 |
Dr. Roseamelia RoseameC@upstate.edu |
The goal of this community-based Acting Internship is to prepare the fourth year medical student to assume the role of a first year resident in caring for patients across the lifespan in an ambulatory Family Medicine Clinic, managing acute and chronic conditions, as well as providing wellness and prevention care. The Acting Internship will provide training and experience in the key components of outpatient primary care. The student will spend 8 halfdays per week in the Family Medicine office, performing all aspects of Evaluation and Management visits. These aspects include, but are not limited to: taking a history, performing a physical examination, reviewing other data (e.g. diagnostic tests, consult notes, medical records) relevant to the visit, formulating a differential diagnosis, assessing the status of chronic conditions, identifying gaps in guideline and/or evidence based wellness and prevention, formulating and ordering appropriate diagnostic tests, making appropriate referrals for ancillary services and consultations, formulating a treatment and follow-up plan incorporating shared decision. |
| Rahma Clinic Elective |
Dr. Awayda AwaydaM@upstate.edu |
Available to MS4s. Course description not available. Contact Dr. Awayda for more information. |
| Elective Name & Code | Credits | Contact | Course Description |
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Service Learning and Community Health MPHP628 |
2 |
Simone Seward, MPH SewardS@upstate.edu |
Requires previous volunteer experience and application. This course integrates meaningful community service with instruction on basic principles of public health to improve the health status of the community. This course allows students to serve as Service Learning Leaders at specific service learning sites and develop skills in community engagement while affording community partners an avenue to address significant needs within their organization or programs. The course utilizes a reflective process to enrich the students' learning experience and explore civic responsibilities. The course meets once a month for 2 hours and runs from August through March. |
| Elective Name & Code | Credits | Contact | Course Description |
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Ethics in Action Through Service PHYT638 |
1 | This service-learning course provides students with the opportunity to work in community organizations that address health inequities. A minimum of 30 hours of service at select community sites will be coordinated through the Center for Civic Engagement. Monthly didactic learning sessions will be offered in coordination with PRVM423 Service Learning and Community Health, promoting interprofessional dialogue around shared service experiences. |
| Elective Name & Code | Credits | Contact | Course Description |
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Community Health Nursing NURS444 |
4 |
Required in Year Two Fall Semester of RN to BSN. Using an open systems framework, this course focuses on the theory and practice of community health nursing. Community health nursing is a blend of two components: public health science with its roots in epidemiology, and the art and science of nursing. While students may work with individuals and families, emphasis is on population-focused nursing with application to Healthy People to promote healthy communities. Students assess a community to identify a priority health need or risk and apply evidence-based interventions at the three levels of prevention. Application of the nursing process to address the specific needs identified in aggregates in the community. Using available community resources, students develop advanced communication skills in collaborating with the healthcare team to plan, implement, and evaluate interventions to improve the overall health of |