Throughout the years, HKCC Lebanon has followed a community service model designed to provide a framework for students to experience their clinical rotations in community health.
The model is based on reciprocal collaboration between students, staff members, and universities. During 2013, the collaborative partnership between HKCC and six universities resulted in excellent clinical experiences for all sides involved. More than 60 students from different universities did their training and clinical rotations at our clinics.
At the end of rotations, students organize preventive and educational campaigns about a topic related to their field.
Below is a list of the universities and departments we work with:
I. University of Balamand: Faculty of Health Sciences – Nursing Program
The cooperation between HKCC and the Nursing Program in the Faculty of Health Science of the University of Balamand goes back to more than a decade. Every year, senior nursing students complete their internships at our centers, where they do their clinical rotations in the medical departments and follow up with one family. In the past, students have executed a need-based community project related to disease prevention and health promotion. Their input in our group work, home visits, individual interviews, lectures, and children’s programs is one of the many ways these students give back to their community.
II. Lebanese University: Faculty of Health and Sciences - School of Nursing and School of Midwifery
Students from the Schools of Nursing and Midwifery at the Lebanese University work with our Obstetric and Gynecologic Clinic by concentrating on patient education and one-on-one follow-up.
III. Université Saint-Joseph: School of Midwifery and Faculty of Dentistry
Our collaboration with the School of Midwifery at the Université Saint-Joseph started 10 years ago and continues to grow. Through this partnership, senior students in the School of Midwifery pass through our OBS-GYN Clinic to execute their clinical rotation program. At the end of the program, students organize a preventive and educative campaign about a topic related to their domain.
In addition to School of Midwifery, we have recently developed a new cooperation with the Faculty of Dentistry when we reopened the Dental Clinic in direct collaboration with the Faculty of Dentistry. Every year, dentists specialized in pediatric dentistry come to by our clinic to treat cases. This has elevated our professional approach and helped us forge a direct link with the Faculty of Dentistry at USJ.
Lebanese American University: School of Nursing:
In August 2013, we signed a Clinical Affiliation Agreement with the Alice Ramez Chagoury School of Nursing at the Lebanese American University in Byblos, Lebanon. According to the agreement, students from the LAU School of Nursing will pass by the HKCC Center to be exposed into the primary healthcare setting and receive their practicum experiences. In addition, students will be integrated into the HKCC Lebanon program and services, be involved in its health supervision in schools, and promote public health educational campaigns.
Our collaboration with the LAU School of Nursing has been a positive experience. The uniqueness of this alliance is due to the fact that faculty members are always present with their students during their rotations and have provided us with reports on a regular basis.
VI. American University of Beirut – Faculty of Health Sciences – School of Nursing
HKCC Lebanon collaborates with the School of Nursing at the American University of Beirut to allow its students to complete their internships at the Center. In addition to medical services, in the form of treatments and assistance to our team, students also help in organizing and participating in our preventive and educative campaigns.
VII. Haigazian University: Faculty of Health Sciences – Masters in Clinical Psychology
Our collaboration with the Clinical Psychology program in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Haigazian University gave us the opportunity to receive one of its master’s students in psychological counseling to complete the requirements of her practicum course. Besides assessing the needs of and counseling different children who had school, family, or emotional problems, the student co-organized – with our social worker – a workshop these children’s mothers to explain the importance of setting priorities in life and techniques in dealing with their daily stress without causing harm to their children. The second part of the workshop featured human rights discussions, where children were acquainted with the international rights of children and conflict resolution techniques.