Community engagement programs offer medical students opportunities to develop leadership skills and apply health equity principles. This study explored medical students' perceptions of leadership development and diversity, equity, and inclusion after volunteering in a mini medical school (MMS) program. Between 2023 and 2024, four focus groups with eleven medical students examined perceptions of leadership growth and community impact through volunteering in an MMS program for 4th-6th graders in North Chicago. Thematic coding revealed three leadership development themes, with character development as the most dominant. Respondents reported enhanced problem-solving skills, deeper engagement with health inequities, and a strong motivation to "give back" by expanding opportunities for underrepresented in medicine (URiM) students. MMS programs not only cultivate leadership skills but also strengthen pathways for URiM students to explore medical careers. These programs complement formal curricula, reinforcing medical students' commitment to socially conscious practice.
Rumenapp et al. (Wed,) studied this question.