Impact of service learning on student attitudes toward the poor and underserved

Background Patient-centered care necessitates an appreciation of one's socioeconomic status and its influence on health and well-being. Purpose We explored how student attitudes toward poverty changed as a result of participation in an interprofessional service-learning experience. Methods Students from 6 health profession programs participated in an interprofessional military-sponsored free health care event serving nearly 8000 individuals from our community. Students' pre-post attitudes toward poverty were measured using the Attitude Toward Poverty Short Form (ATP-SF) and Beliefs About the Relationship Between Poverty and Health (BRPH) scale. Results Two subscales and 14 items on the ATP-SF and 3 items on the BRPH had significant differences between their pre and post experience. Students expressed less bias, a decrease in stereotypic views, and a heightened willingness to advocate on behalf of those with limited means of support. Conclusion Findings suggest that experiential, transformative service learning has a positive impact on students' attitudes toward poverty and the underserved.