Medical trainee perceived value of community service as they progress through training based on curriculum vitae analysis

Abstract

Background: Participation in community service work is often used as a surrogate for measurement of humanitarianism and altruism in medical school applicants during the selection process. Students who continue to be involved in community service during medical school score higher in empathy scales and perform better academically. Despite this, student involvement in community service has not been well studied, particularly during postgraduate training. Methods: First-year medical student (MS1), first year resident (PGY1), and final year resident (FYR) curriculum vitaes (CVs) were collected. CVs were analyzed using NVivo to determine the percentage of each CV committed to demonstrating different activities. These percentages were then analysed for patterns of change as trainees progress through their medical education. Results: Fifty-nine trainees (12 MS1, 24 PGY1, and 23 FYR.) submitted CVs for analysis. Community service gradually becomes a less significant portion of a medical trainee’s CV. Volunteering in the community goes from 22.5% of a medical student applicant´s resume to 2.9% of a graduating resident's CV. Volunteering within the school however remains consistent (11.3–13%). Much of the community volunteer activities are replaced by research, which increases from 19.2%– 43.4% of the CV. Conclusions: Medical trainees place decreasing value on presenting their community service involvement as they progress through training, while research increasingly dominates their CV. However, service activities within their institutions remain constant.