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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 2024 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 2024:

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.

Devon Clark

Project Title: "I Just Didn't Feel Like Going:" Evaluating Patient and Patient Navigator Perspectives to Identify Common Barriers to Breast Cancer Screening

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.

Carly Eiduson

Project Title: The Fourth Trimester Model: Improving Equity in Breastfeeding Duration and Exclusivity through Community Partnership

Hannah Jackel-Dewhurst

Project Title: The Fourth Trimester Model: Disparities in Fourth Trimester Visit Attendance

Class of 2023 Award Winners

Costanza Community Impact Award Recipient

This award is given to the Distinction candidate 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

Class of 2022 Award Winners

Costanza Community Impact Award Recipient

This award is given to the Distinction candidate whose work exemplifies outstanding community engagement with the greatest potential for sustainable impact on the health of the community.

Veronica Yu

Project Title: Addressing the Use of Law Enforcement Restraints on Pregnant, Incarcerated Individuals

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.

Amundam Mancho

Project Title: The 4th Trimester Model: A New Approach to Improving Perinatal Care

Sara Peterson

Project Title: 4th Trimester Project: A New Approach to Perinatal Care Emphasis on North Ponds Site & Contraception Data

Creative Initiative in Community Health Award Recipients

Jessica Meyer

Project Title: Somos un Equipo: A Partnership to Increase URMC Provider Awareness of Farmworkers and Improve Local Farmworkers' Healthcare Access

Shireen Saxena

Project Title: Increasing Awareness of the Immigrant Farmworker Community: Health Barriers and Solutions

Class of 2021 Award Winners

Class of 2021 Costanza Community Impact Award Recipient

This award is given to the Distinction candidate whose work exemplifies outstanding community engagement with the greatest potential for sustainable impact on the health of the community.

Mary Buswell

Project Title: Contraceptive Needs Assessment of Clients at Trillium Syringe Service Program

Class of 2021 Creative Initiative in Community Health Award Recipient

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.

Hannah Silva

Project Title: A Comprehensive Health Education Program for Individuals with Down Syndrome