Supporting Reentrants: A Medical Student Volunteer Initiative

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Service learning has become an integral component of medical education, allowing students to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world settings while addressing significant community issues.¹ These programs offer students opportunities to engage with marginalized populations and contribute to interventions that mitigate health disparities.² While service learning opportunities in dermatology for medical residents have been documented, there is limited research on similar programs tailored to medical students. Recent research examined a novel medical student service learning initiative within a university dermatology practice that offers free laser tattoo removal services to formerly incarcerated individuals reintegrating into society.³

Overview of the Tattoo Removal Program

The University of California, San Diego (UCSD) Clean Slate Free Tattoo Removal Program was founded in 2016 to provide free laser tattoo removal services to reentrants referred by local law enforcement and community programs. The clinic operates monthly, treating approximately 25 patients per session, with volunteer dermatologists and residents providing care. Given the increasing patient volume and medical students’ interest in service learning, a new volunteer program was introduced to enhance clinic operations and student learning.

Methods

Planning the Medical Student Volunteer Program

In Fall 2024, medical students interested in dermatology and social justice were invited to co-develop a volunteer program integrated into the Clean Slate Program. The program director and collaborators leveraged their prior experience in medical service learning to design an effective and educational experience for students. The program was tested in 4 clinical sessions before being finalized and expanded to include a new cohort of 6 students.

Program Goals

The program aimed to provide students with:

• Exposure to dermatological clinical settings.
• Enhanced communication skills with diverse patient populations.
• Opportunities to collaborate with dermatology residents and faculty.
• Observational experience in laser procedures and bedside manner.
• Involvement in patient education post-procedure.
• A peer mentorship framework where second-year students guide new volunteers.

Eligibility

All medical students at UCSD can apply, though first- and second-year students are most likely to participate due to their flexible academic schedules. Orientation occurs before the official start of the academic year, ensuring that students are adequately prepared for their roles in the clinic.

Program Evaluation

An anonymous survey conducted in January 2025 assessed student experiences. With a 75% response rate, students reported demographic information, clinical experience, motivations for participation, and training feedback. Results highlighted students' strong interest in serving justice-impacted individuals and professional development in dermatology.

Results

Training for Clinic Activities

Students undergo a multi-step training process that includes reviewing literature, watching training videos, shadowing experienced volunteers, and completing HIPAA certification. A clinic director-led debriefing session follows each clinic shift to reinforce learning outcomes.

Students’ Clinic Activities

Following ethical service-learning principles, students participate in structured clinical activities under physician supervision. Responsibilities include patient check-in, consent preparation, intake, shadowing procedures, operating the smoke evacuator with consent, assisting with post-procedure tasks, and developing patient-facing materials. Notably, students do not operate the laser or provide unsupervised medical services.

Time Commitment

Students commit to at least 3 clinic sessions annually, each lasting 2 to 4 hours, totaling a minimum of 9 hours of clinical experience. Summer participation is encouraged to enhance familiarity with procedures and patient outcomes.

Student Leadership Activities

Second-year students serve as mentors and assist in training new volunteers. Their responsibilities include clinic workflow orientation, outreach activities, and conference presentations about the program. Additionally, experienced students help coordinate volunteer schedules.

Program Evaluation Results

Survey responses indicated that 100% of students were interested in providing care to justice-impacted individuals, while 83% viewed the program as a stepping stone for a dermatology career. The training process received high satisfaction ratings, though some students reported lower confidence in operating the smoke evacuator or understanding laser treatments.

Conclusion

Service learning is a valuable aspect of medical education, fostering student engagement with underserved communities while providing clinical exposure. The UCSD Clean Slate Program bridges a gap in dermatology-focused service learning by offering hands-on experience in laser medicine. The program has received positive feedback from students and clinicians, with benefits including improved clinic efficiency and enriched student learning experiences. "Anecdotally, the program has been received favorably by the clinical team as they believe students' participation has improved the clinical flow and allowed them to serve a greater number of patients," researchers stated.This model demonstrates the feasibility and impact of integrating service learning into medical curricula to enhance student training and community health outcomes.

"Our experience suggests that service learning programs centered in dermatology and laser medicine for medical students are of high interest and a program that meets students where they are in their training can be crafted by medical schools to meet this interest and training need," researchers wrote. They suggested future studies should explore the long-term benefits of such programs and their influence on students' career trajectories in dermatology and community health.

References

1. Seifer SD. Service-learning: community-campus partnerships for health professions education. Acad Med. 1998;73(3):273-277. doi:10.1097/00001888-199803000-00015

2. Sabo S, de Zapien J, Teufel-Shone N, Rosales C, Bergsma L, Taren D. Service learning: a vehicle for building health equity and eliminating health disparities. Am J Public Health. 2015;105 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S38-S43. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2014.302364

3. Ojeda VD, Nguyen HA, Nandamuri S, et al. A protocol for dermatology service learning for medical students: Supporting laser tattoo removal for adults impacted by the justice-system. Lasers Surg Med. Published online March 11, 2025. doi:10.1002/lsm.70005