Society to help student-run clinics share ideas, practices

UNMC medical students Kendra Lesiak, Tyler Ketterl and Natalie Stavas at the recent SHARING the Vision conference. The conference resulted in the formation of the Society for Student Run Free Clinics, which brings together such clinics in an effort to share best practices and other helpful ideas.

With the launch of the Society for Student Run Free Clinics at the recent SHARING the Vision conference, health profession students now have a place to turn to for information.

This national organization is aimed at helping health profession students share information about the best ways to manage student run clinics.

“The society was formed because students identified that there needed to be a connection between student-run clinics nationally,” said Tyler Ketterl, a second-year medical student at UNMC. “Currently, each one is operating as an individual silo with limited communication with other clinics.”

Over a series of separate conferences held with the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine and the National Summit for Clinicians for Healthcare Justice, the students began to realize how important it was to have a support network.

The idea was formalized at the SHARING the Vision conference hosted by UNMC in March, when the society was formally announced.

“The group’s purpose is not to be a governing group, since each clinic is unique, but to focus on sharing best practices and ideas across the country,” said Deepa Rani Nandiwada, a medical student from George Washington University.

“The society was formed because students identified that there needed to be a connection between student-run clinics nationally. Currently, each one is operating as an individual silo with limited communication with other clinics.” Tyler Ketterl

The mission of the society is to develop an international, interprofessional platform for student-run clinics, he said. This would be done through an annual conference, Web site and newsletter that would increase communication between students, foster the sharing of ideas and collaboration on research.

“We hope to expand the existing scope of clinics, as well as cultivate the growth of new ones,” Ketterl said.

Ketterl along with fellow second-year medical students Kendra Lesiak, Craig Johnson and Natalie Stavas serve on the organizations working group.

For more information log on to the organization’s Web site.