On the 10th anniversary of Health Canada and the Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada's publication in 2001 of Social Accountability: A Vision for Canadian Medical Schools, the authors review the progress at one Canadian medical school, the College of Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan, in developing a culture of social accountability. They review the changes that have made the medical school more socially accountable and the steps taken to make those changes possible. In response to calls for socially accountable medical schools, the College of Medicine created a Social Accountability Committee to oversee the integration of these principles into the college. The committee developed the CARE model (Clinical activity, Advocacy, Research, Education and training) as a guiding tool for social accountability initiatives toward priority health concerns and as a means of evaluation. Diverse faculty and student committees have emerged as a result and have had far-reaching impacts on the college and communities: from changes in curricula and admissions to community programming and international educational experiences. Although a systematic assessment of the CARE model is needed, early evidence shows that the most significant effects can be found in the cultural shift in the college, most notably among students. The CARE model may serve as an important example for other educational institutions in the development of health practitioners and research that is responsive to the needs of their communities.
Saskatoon has nearly half of the diagnoses of HIV in Saskatchewan, Canada, with an incidence rate among Indigenous populations within inner-city contexts that is 3 times higher than national rates. Previous research does not adequately explore the relations between HIV vulnerabilities within these contexts and the experiences of illness disclosure that are informed by identity transformations, experiences of stigma, and social support. From an intersectionality framework and a constructivist grounded theory approach, this research involved in-depth, semistructured interviews with 21 Indigenous people living with HIV and/or AIDS in Saskatoon, both male and female. In this article, we present the key themes that emerged from the interviews relating to experiences of HIV disclosure, including experiences of and barriers to the disclosure process. In the end, we highlight the important identity transformation and role of being and becoming a "helper" in the community and how it can be seen as a potential support for effective community health interventions.
Background: Collaborative practice is a necessary component of providing effective, socially responsive, patient-centred care; however, effective teamwork requires training. Canadian student-run clinics are interprofessional community service-learning initiatives where students plan and deliver clinical and health promotion services, with the assistance of licensed healthcare professionals.Methods and Findings: In this article, we use a reflective approach to examine the phenomenon of student-run clinics in Canada. First, we briefly review the history of student-run clinics and then describe one particular clinic in detail. Then, drawing on the experiences of student-run clinics across the country, we identify common themes and challenges that we believe characterize these programs.Conclusion: Student-run clinics in Canada emphasize health equity, interprofessionalism, and student leadership. As more student-run clinics are developed, both nationally and internationally, co-ordinated research efforts are needed to determine their effects on students, institutions, communities, and healthcare systems. If educators can learn to collaborate effectively with student leaders, student-run clinics may be ideal sites for advancing learning around interprofessionalism and social accountability.
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