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Table 5 Community-engaged public health education projects and capstone projects produced by students in the COVID-19 elective

From: Global health on the front lines: an innovative medical student elective combining education and service during the COVID-19 pandemic

Project Type

Project Description

Community-engaged public health education projects

 Video series

3 short tutorials on the basics of COVID-19, isolation, and quarantine aimed at community health center staff (clerks, medical assistants, nurses) and the general public

 Policy brief

Information for local policymakers and health system leaders on creating disease-specific hospitals in response to an emerging infectious disease

 Policy brief

Information for local policymakers and housing agencies on leveraging the crisis as an opportunity to address homelessness in Austin

 Slide deck and flyer

Information for local public health leaders on designing effective messaging for Millennials on social distancing; sample flyer demonstrating effective messaging techniques

Capstone projects

 Op-ed

Discussion of higher risk to women of interpersonal violence due to the shelter-in-place order

 Op-ed

Discussion of the pandemic’s impact on the practice of primary care and chronic disease management, and opportunities for new care delivery models

 Poem

Reflection on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our daily lives and routines

 Poetry series

Collection of sestinas using words submitted from medical students and faculty describing personal experiences with the pandemic

 Community impact project

Creation of a new volunteer communication and onboarding strategy using a human-centered design approach for a local non-profit to provide free food delivery to vulnerable families during the pandemic

 Epidemiologic report

Manuscript describing the role of asymptomatic spread in a locally identified cluster of students

 Epidemiologic report

Pilot study of an active surveillance testing strategy among asymptomatic healthcare workers in Austin

 Community impact and research project

Creation of database of local food insecurity resources for distribution to families in pediatric clinics; detailed report on how COVID-19 has exacerbated food insecurity in Austin, with a focus on families and children