NCJ Number
72334
Journal
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL EDUCATION Volume: 54 Issue: 12 Dated: (December 1979) Pages: 925-931
Date Published
1979
Length
7 pages
Annotation
A weekly elective clinical program for medical, nursing, and pharmacy students developed by the University of New Mexico Health Service Center at a prison facility in need of medical services is described and evaluated through a survey of student and prisoner attitudes.
Abstract
In 1974, the University of New Mexico selected the Los Lunas prison farm as the site for a voluntary clinic held for 4 hours weekly. Services by eight preclinical medical students, four senior nursing students, and two senior pharmacy students are rendered to the inmates, with each student joining at the beginning of the academic year and seeing patients from the prison for 8 to 12 months. At the end of the third year of program operation, questionnaires concerning attitudes toward the prison clinic were concurrently administered to 31 student participants and 25 inmates receiving care at the clinic. Students' reaction to the prison experience was strongly positive. Most developed empathy toward the inmates and a greater understanding of prison health problems. Inmates rated the student service highly and requested its continuance. The prison staff requested that the clinical service be continued indefinitely. The establishment of similar units at other prisons has led to a more professional and integrated medical care system in New Mexico. If the medical profession is to address the health care needs of prisoners, it must encourage medical schools to design educational experiences in prison health which will attract the interest of its medical students and house officers. This community health education experience provides a noncontractual model for such a university-prison health alliance. Eight references are provided in the article