North Carolina MedServe : A Research Team Hiding in Plain Sight

Context: MedServe is a two-year AmeriCorps fellowship for college graduates pursuing careers in primary care medicine. Fellows are placed at primary care practices in underserved parts of North Carolina and split their time between clinic- and community-based work. MedServe fellows work in over thirty clinics across the state, including Federally Qualified Health Centers, free clinics, and private practices.

Primary care practitioners often face human resource limitations when conducting research, especially in rural North Carolina. While research is not typically an aspect of the MedServe fellowship, many fellows may be enthusiastic about opportunities to contribute to medical research. Furthermore, involving students in primary care research aligns with MedServe’s mission of promoting health equity and filling human capital needs in underserved areas.

Objective: Describe the experiences of MedServe Fellows engaging in and implementing a small-scale research project.

Study Design and Analysis: Observational and Implementation design

Setting: Four primary care clinics in North Carolina participating in the research study.

Population Studied: MedServe Fellows who served as research champions for the study

Intervention/Instrument: Participation in research studied measured through meeting notes and observations, qualitative interviews, and surveys

Outcome Measures: Value of MedServe Fellows’ contribution to the study and Fellows’ interest in gaining research experience

Results: MedServe Fellows assisted with study design, data collection( by enrolling patients and helping patients complete their baseline and six-months post baseline survey), and dissemination of results by participating in abstract development and presentation review. MedServe fellows valued the opportunity to take an active part in medical research. The majority of the MedServe Fellows indicated an interest in continuing with research when their fellowship was complete.

Conclusions: MedServe Fellows can be active participants in designing and completing small-scale primary care research projects in North Carolina. This serves as a model for other primary care practices to utilize this population in their research.