Embedding Small Group Service - Learning in an Undergraduate Medical Programme.

This module introduces students at an early stage of their medical degree to the value of learning with and from the community. This is particularly important as these communities represent the populations students will meet as they learn the practice of medicine throughout their clinical careers. In 2025, the University of Galway School of Medicine reintroduced Student Selected Components (SSCs) into the undergraduate curriculum as part of a newly established Foundation Year. SSCs provide students with the opportunity to choose from a diverse range of modules, promoting autonomy and engagement with varied areas of interest. A total of 100 students participated, distributed across 10 SSCs. Each component was designed around service-learning as an experiential educational approach, fostering meaningful engagement with community partners.

A group of people at the gym

Ongoing Activities

  • Teaching CPR to 150 local primary school children
  • Supporting engagement with members of the public receiving care from the National Ambulance Service
  • Designing and delivering rescue simulations in collaboration with the RNLI lifeboat service
  • Developing informational resources for parents on managing food allergies, based on community input
  • Teaching “Decider Skills” to secondary school students (mental health and coping strategies)
  • Delivering first responder training to members of a local boxing club
  • Engaging with participants in COPD support groups to better understand chronic illness management
  • Exploring and proposing sustainability frameworks relevant to community contexts
    • CPR training

    Goals

    • Identify a community need through active engagement with local partners 
    • Develop a relevant skillset based on that need
    • Employ the skill in the community, all the while learning from the community.

    For example, students delivering first responder workshops to members of the local boxing club, met with the boxing club manager to identify what first responder skills were required, and therefore developed a workshop focussing on fracture, concussion, sprain and nosebleed management. 

    Community Voice

    "Delighted to see this valuable initiative revitalised in it's current format- a highlight in my academic calendar "
    Member of Faculty
    "Great to have this back. One of my favourite teaching pieces."
    Member of Faculty
    "A fabulous initiative, looking forward to next year"
    Community partner
    "I really really enjoyed the SSC and I was so grateful for the chance to take part"
    Student Feedback
    "Overall really enjoyed this SSC and look forward to using what I’ve learnt from it in the future"
    Student Feedback
    "I’d change nothing best thing we did all year"
    Student Feedback

    CPR training

    Main value of service learning for healthcare students is that it connects academic learning with meaningful community engagement, helping students develop professionalism, empathy, and social responsibility through real-world experience which is essential for Patient-centred Care. Similar benefits in professional development have been documented in the literature, including Brown & Bright (2017) and Roskell et al. (2012)

    Outcomes and Impacts

    • These activities encourage students to get involved in other forms of community based learning e.g. volunteering. Students identified multiple potential other service learning opportunities relevant to their community partners.
    • Early and meaningful engagement between medical students and community members may contribute to increased trust in the healthcare system.
    CPR training

    Sustainable Development Goals

    SDG goa; 3- Good health and well-being

    SDG Goal 3 -Good Health and Well-Being

    SDG goa; 3- Good health and well-being

    SDG Goal 4- Quality Education

    SDG goa; 3- Good health and well-being

    SDG Goal 10- Reduced Inequalities

    SDG goa; 3- Good health and well-being

    SDG Goal 3- Sustainable Cities and Communities

    SDG goa; 3- Good health and well-being

    SDG Goal 3- Partnerships for the Goals

    About Project

    Embedding Service Learning Student Selected Components supports the development of patient-centred practitioners. Each SSC incorporates a medical focus which allows the students to appreciate how members of the community interact with healthcare systems, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and lived experience.

    Students also develop several transferrable skills including communication, organisation and teamwork.

    Our Partners

    • Galway Boxing Club
    • OPD Support Ireland
    • RNLI
    • Samaritans
    • Jigsaw
    • The National Ambulance Service
    • SATU
    • Local primary and secondary schools
    A group picture from training

    This initiative was developed through a collaborative effort involving:

    • Dr Alex Nugent
    • Professor Rosemary Geoghegan
    • Ms Neele Dronner
    • Dr Orla Mongan
    • Dr Aoife Jackson
    • Dr Cara Egan
    • Dr Sarah Dixon
    • Dr Edina Moylett
    • Dr Tinta Deasy
    • Ms Olivia McIntyre
    • Dr Andrea Holmes
    • Dr Alma Lydon
    • Dr Emma O'Gorman
    • Professor Francis Finucane
    • Mr Mike Smith
    • Dr Yvonne Finn
    • Professor Sinéad Walsh

    For more information, contact Alex Nugent at alex.nugent@universityofgalway.ie

    Contact the Community Engagement Office at the University of Galway at community@universityofgalway.ie

    Engagement Office

    Institute for Lifecourse and Society (ILAS)
    University of Galway
    Upper Newcastle Road
    Galway, Ireland
    H91 C7DK