First-Year Pritzker Students Win AOA Medical Student Service Leadership Grant

By Kofi Acheampong, Idris Ayantoye, David Fenton, and Destiny Henning

A team of Pritzker students this spring received a 2022 Medical Student Service Leadership Project (MSSLP) grant from the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. Kofi Acheampong, MS1, Chibueze Agwu, MS1, Amani Allen, MS1, Idris Ayantoye, MS1, David Fenton, MS1, Destiny Henning, MS1, Ifeoma Ikedionwu, MS1, and Chinwe Udemgba, MS1 submitted their project, “Southside Community Health Advocates (SCHA): Developing Physician-Community Leaders to Minimize Health Disparities in the South Side of Chicago.” They are the first Pritzker student group since Pritzker's 2018 submission to win this grant. This project will be supported and advised by faculty members: Dr. Bryan Smith, Dr. Fuad Baroody, Dr. Stephen Estime, and Dr. Sonia Oyola. 

The MSSLP grant provides $9,000 in funding over three years to support leadership development in medical students through service-learning projects for underserved populations. Award-winning projects must both relate to medical service and provide a means for students to develop their leadership potential in specific, measurable ways.

Student leaders conceived of the Southside Community Health Advocates (SCHA) Leadership Program for first-year medical students interested in community engagement. This program aims to develop physician-community leaders to minimize healthcare disparities through an accompanying curriculum and student-run community initiatives. Ten first-year medical students will have the opportunity to participate in the curriculum consisting of three modules running longitudinally during the year. 

The curriculum will develop community advocacy skills and knowledge through workshops, improve students’ leadership and organizational skills through carrying out a community healthcare initiative, and reflect on current and future impact through a capstone project. Student-run initiatives include but are not limited to medical care, educational workshops, and mental health events. These efforts are all in partnership with community organizations, such as Project H.O.O.D.

Through the SCHA Leadership Program, students will gain the skills to be competent community advocates and gain a greater understanding of the health disparities on the South Side of Chicago.