ABSTRACT
CONTEXT: Medical students need learning experiences outside the classroom, clinic room and hospital room if they are to become integral parts of the communities in which they will practice medicine. Service-learning incorporated into the traditional medical school curriculum can provide a vehicle to accomplish this goal, and provide an avenue to enhance the professional development of the physician in training. METHODS: This paper describes efforts to incorporate community service and service-learning into a traditional medical school curriculum. The unique nature of our location in a rural state with several required rural rotations with our local community partners has facilitated this effort. CONCLUSION: Incorporation of service-learning into a medical curriculum can be accomplished and will enhance the professional development of the students.
