Changes in health professional students' attitudes toward the underserved impact of extended participation in an interprofessional student-run free clinic

This study assessed the impact of volunteering for 2 years in an interprofessional student-run free clinic (SRFC) on the attitudes of health professional students toward the medically underserved. The Health Professionals' Attitudes Toward the Homeless Inventory was administered to students from six different health professions at three time points: Before, after 1 year, and after 2 years of volunteering in an SRFC. The results were compared to students who never applied to the SRFC and those who applied but were not accepted. Students who applied had similar attitude scores at baseline and differed significantly from those who did not apply. Although all three groups showed declining attitudes after the first year, students who volunteered had more favorable attitudes than the other two groups from this point forward. These results suggest that SRFCs have a protective effect against the declining attitudes toward the underserved that can occur as training progresses.