Cultural Sensitivity and Learning About Healthcare Equity for the Underserved: Experiential Learning in a Student-Run Free Clinic

With increased diversity in the USA comes a growing need to educate medical students on how best to manage diverse patient populations. Medical students on the board of a student-run free clinic (SRFC) were surveyed to determine how such a leadership experience might alter students' cultural sensitivity as it relates to healthcare equity. Forty-six students (42.2% response) reported their experiences helped them better understand patient's needs (4.37, 0.64; mean, SD), cultural barriers (4.44, 0.55), and racial/ethnic disparities (4.27, 0.70). Thus, service on the board of a SRFC improves cultural sensitivity.