Community-Engaged Learning
Distinction in Community Health for Medical Students
Each year, several medical students, who also excel in community health scholarship, graduate with the Distinction in Community Health. This is an option for students who make significant longitudinal contributions to community service, excel in the Community Health Improvement Courses and engage in learning about current issues and topics in community health throughout medical school. This is an opportunity for M.D. candidates to complete substantial and sustainable community health improvement with community partners, and experience health outside of health care first-hand.
Congratulations to the 2023 Distinction in Community Health awardees! Check out Padlet to learn more about this year’s community health projects.
Exemplar Medical school graduates may also be awarded the Costanza Community Impact Award, the Fiscella Excellence in Community Health Award or the Creative Initiative in Community Health Award, available only to Distinction Candidates with exceptional projects.
Here are the winners of these awards for the graduating class of 2023:
Costanza Community Impact Award Recipient
This award is given to the Distinction candidate(s) whose work exemplifies outstanding community engagement with the greatest potential for sustainable impact on the health of the community.
Shane Fuentes
Project Title: Crossovers & Conversations
Nilsa Ricci
Project Title: Understanding and Improving Trauma Debriefing Sessions for URMC Spanish Interpreters
Fiscella Excellence in Community Health Award Recipients
This award is given to the Distinction candidate(s) whose work demonstrates significant scholarship in community engagement through academic rigor, robust evaluation and substantial dissemination.
Valentina Sedlacek
Project Title: ROCovery Fitness
Creative Initiative in Community Health Award Recipients
This award is given to Distinction candidate(s) whose work generates a new partnership initiated by the Candidate(s) that developed into a meaningful, creative and impactful project where the candidate(s) integrated the new partner for sustainability beyond the project and students' involvement. This award will only be given in years where there are candidates that excel in this category.
Mariah Erlick
Project Title: Improving Medicolegal Advocacy for Asylum Seekers
Katie Klapheke
Project Title: Improving Volunteer Visibility for Rochester Human Rights Initiative