Community Fieldwork Collaboration Between Medical and Social Work Students

This article describes an educational demonstration in interdisciplinary community field experiences between social work and medical students at The University of Kentucky Medical Center at Lexington. The joint training effort involved collaboration between the medical school, the hospital social service department, the school of social work, and community social and health agencies. The pilot program in which students from different professions lived for 6 weeks in outlying rural communities served by the medical center, provided an opportunity: (a) to study the feasibility of combining a broad community health study experience with casework services in a hospital-based educational program and (b) to assess the benefits of early interdisciplinary community and clinical work between future doctors and social workers. Students saw the advantages of cooperative teamwork in studying community problems, and were able to apply classroom theory about community organization to real community situations. The organizational structure and staff resources required to carry out such a demonstration are described, and the implications of the training project are discussed.