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Sophia Quesada

 

Sophia Quesada

UC Irvine School of Medicine
United States

Abstract Title: Knowledge Assessment of Select Social Determinants of Health Topics: An Interview Study of Third-Year Medical Students During the OBGYN Clerkship

Biography:

Sophia Quesada is a 3rd year medical student at UC Irvine School of Medicine with interests in women’s health and reproductive justice. She completed her undergraduate studies at Rhodes College in Memphis, TN in 2020.

Research Interest:

This study aimed to evaluate whether a Social Determinants of Health (SDH) curriculum implemented during the OB/GYN core clerkship improves students knowledge of SDH affecting obstetric and gynecologic care, and to assess student attitudes toward the curriculum. While significant racial disparities persist in OB/GYN care, this research offers insight into the effectiveness and reception of SDH training at the medical school level. A convenience sample of third-year medical students participating in the OB/GYN clerkship at UCI was invited via email to complete an optional, anonymous two-part survey. Fifty-one students across four rotations were invited; 36 completed the pre-survey during their first week, and 22 completed the post-survey following a lecture titled “Social Determinants of Health in OB/GYN. Data were collected and analyzed using RedCap. When comparing pre- and post-survey responses to questions on intimate partner violence and Black maternal health disparities, accuracy improved across all four SDH knowledge questions (+10.33% to +24.97%).

Post-survey responses revealed that:

•   72.7% of students strongly agreed the lecture helped them better identify non-medical factors impacting care.

• 77.3% strongly agreed it provided information they will use to improve future patient care.

• 90.9% felt the lecture introduced new concepts and/or statistics.

These findings suggest that students begin with some awareness of racial disparities in OB/GYN but show measurable improvement after just one SDH-focused lecture. The curriculum was positively received, with most students affirming its relevance and utility. We recommend that other medical schools adopt similar SDH instruction within clinical clerkships to better equip future physicians to address persistent racial disparities in care.